Wild Kratts: Power of Nature - Season 3: Darkness Arc - All Episodes
by Taismo-89
Summary: All the episodes of PoN's third season in one single fanfic! WK and all its characters belong rightfully to PBS, 9 Story and Kratt Bros company.
1. Episodes 1-2: All Discord Breaks Loose

On the west coast of America, the Wild Kratts were taking a little r&r for a month after the Chaos fiasco. The towels were out and beach umbrellas were up on that clear, warm morning. Yep, nothing but relaxing and taking it down a notch.

The crew was playing on the warm, sandy shore. Sam, now an official member of the team, was in the water. Not far from the shark mutant, Martin was floating on his back.

"Nothing like a calm moment out at sea," he commented. "Nothing else to it."

"You bet, bro. A little normal life is good for everyone," Chris replied.

"Uh… define "normal"," Sam commented, chuckling. Then, he was hit in the back of his head by a volleyball. "Ow!"

"Whoops! Sorry!" Bite-Size called, waving at him.

"Nice throw, Brownie Boy." Koki patted her fella in the back. "This arm's now stronger than steel. But, hey… just between us, don't you miss hangin' upside down in your bat box?"

"Got used to the hammocks. Not my fault," Bites guaranteed. He was now deeply enjoying his human self. "I think…" This placed a doubt inside his head: could he be… losing his "battiness" with this excess of human form?

"Hey, Martin... " Chris noticed something on his head. "What's that?"

"Huh? What's what?"

"Hold still a sec." Martin stood up in the water. Chris looked at the back of his head. He gasped and backed away a bit. "M-Martin..."

"Chris! Your hair..." Martin saw also something that surprised him.

"And so is yours!" Both brothers had a black stripe in their hair. The brothers gulped. This sure wasn't a good sign.

* * *

"Oh, I feared this could happen," Ventus admitted, inspecting the black stripes. "Remember when Chaos whipped you when you faced him a while ago?"

"How could I forget? I still feel the pain," Chris admitted.

"Now that you bring that up, my Kratt Sense hasn't been going off since then," Martin stated.

"And my prophetic abilities are getting all jumbled in my head."

"Well, somehow, it happened to you both like what happened to me 10,000 years ago. He cursed you both… and the first signal of it started appearing now."

"He what?! It's what?!" Martin gasped. A cold breeze invaded the HQ.

"Now bros, calm down," Ventus tried to advert. "The effects of Chaos' curse appear if you show anger or worry at extreme level. Trust me, it happened to me too."

"Even the slightest sign of panicking?" Chris asked.

"Hm… more intense panicking, actually. Still, careful."

"Is there a way to lift the curse?" Aviva asked.

"Hm..." Ventus thought. "I don't think I have the answer. But perhaps, mom does." He opened a portal for the team. "Let's go."

* * *

Meanwhile, Amelia, hidden in a deserted house in the middle of the woods, worked on some experiment. Someone approached the place.

" _Neine_! It's still not good enough!" she complained, throwing her plan away. "For all of these plans, MAGIC is needed. And I don't have access to any fountain of it!" She collapsed on the couch nearby, and Otto approached her.

"Calm now, _mein_ master. You're a genius, remember? You can build your army once more. After all, not only in that timeline you had access to such valuable critters."

"But I used magic to fulfill my objectives. More than simple science, Otto. Whenever will I find a simple hint of magic in this middle of nowhere?" Someone observed the dictator, and then, decided to knock on the door. "UGH! Who could that be?"

"I believe this is yours, ma'am." It was Klaus Donata, giving her back the plan she threw away. "Forgive me for interrupting your lament, but as I analyzed it, I noticed a small problem here. Properly named… the Wild Kratts."

" _Ja_?" Amelia was charmed. Never before she saw such a good-looking man.

"Master?" Otto asked.

"I believe I have the answer to your problems. If you just let me in, I'll tell you what I mean," he said, with a poisonous smile. Amelia agreed, as she saw Klaus removing his coat and throwing on Otto's head. This made the scientist chuckle a little.

* * *

In her temple, Hermia looked at the brothers' hair in worry.

"This is strong, dark magic," she muttered. "I'm afraid that only with similar magic we can remove it."

"Similar?" Koki repeated in concern. "I don't think we can just walk up to someone with dark magic and ask to remove a curse. We saw what this can do, and it's not good."

"There could be no other way." Mina and Elsa nearly shuddered, seeing a strange fury in their mother's eyes. "I believe… Only _she_ can undo this curse."

"Mom, you're not suggesting..." Ventus gulped.

"Yes… my sister Eris," Hermia sighed. "If she can't do it… none of us can."

"We don't really have a choice, do we?" Chris questioned. "Even though she WAS pretty responsible for many things we suffered since we became Guardians."

"Corrupting people…"

"Manipulating minds..."

"Creating chocolate rain without whipped cream..." Martin pointed out. The team stared at him. "What?"

"We all know the danger she caused in the past… but she could be our only chance," Hermia said in a serious tone. "I will take you to the statue, and Mina, you must use the scepter to release her."

"Uh… mom, the scepter was practically dismounted for us to defeat Chaos, remember?"

"Maybe… but the Crystals remained locked up safely." Luna came flying in, a bag in her talons. She called for other critter messengers to help her bring a golden chest in.

"Try to make her see your point if she plays hard on you again," Hermia alerted. "And most of all… don't let her get to you with Darkness."

"Don't worry. We won't," Mina assured, taking her tiara out of the bag. With certainty of their success, Hermia led them to the Mystical Garden.

* * *

Ven felt shivers go down his spine at seeing the petrified form of Eris herself. Elsa hid behind David.

"Okay… guys, keep your medallions close, just in case," Mina warned, before they activated all their powers. With the Crystals, the team entered their Crown Forms. In a flash of rainbow light, the stone shell on the goddess broke.

Eris breathed hard, then yawned.

"Wow, here I was believing you would never let me out of there!" she first complained. "Boy… it felt like even my beautiful goddess skeleton was turning into stone." Then, she looked at the brothers' hair. "Let me guess… Chaos?"

The team stared at her.

"What? As any GOOD mother, I like to see my children's work." She threw a stare of disapproval at Hermia.

"I will pretend I didn't hear that... older sister," Mother Nature said sternly, her eyes narrowed.

"Sure, sure. But tell me: did you Guardians just send him to the depths of the Underworld AGAIN?"

"No… this time. Mina locked him deep inside his newest incarnation," Ventus said. "Let's just say, in his third try to take over Gaia's treasure, we pretty much put him back in his place."

"Look, I know you ARE really upset with me, won't lie seeing the wrinkles of anger in your eyes, but can we please get to the point?" Eris asked, taking a step forward, but tripping. "Wow… my legs are pretty weak, even though I don't walk much."

"Your son whipped my brothers and now, they're suffering the same curse I went through. Can you solve it or not?" Ventus asked, impatiently.

"Well, it does look my powers are utterly weak, possible due to all the time I've been stuck here in my *brrr* so-cold stone prison, but since I don't have much choice..."

"I don't know… she sounds TOO calm..." Elsa whispered.

"It's normal, I guess. She was stuck in that stone prison for a long time. Let's get back to the Tortuga. Maybe some fresh air can help her feel better," David suggested. Then, his Creaturepod rang. Sam appeared on the hologram.

"Guys… we have a problem. A big, dark, epic proporcional problem!" He showed on the screen… Zach Varmitech with Chaos' powers?

"Oh, boy..." Martin gulped.

* * *

Amelia was around preparing her army of new minions, with tons of shots filled of formulas she developed. Klaus Donata also did his part, preparing mind-control collars.

"One more to go," Klaus warned, pointing to the newest Predator. "Your genetic work is really impressive, _Frau_ Cutter," he complemented. "If mother and I had access to this technology, turning animals into clothes would be utterly easy."

"I thank you for your compliments, my comrade," the geneticist replied. "I admit returning to my home timeline is very enjoyable now. Long story, though. And it does impress me of your knowledge and ability of speaking German."

"You do learn some things when you're far away from your family.

 _"Ever since I was a boy, I dreamt about success. I trained and helped my mother in all I could. She loved me, and raised me to be the well-succeeded man I am today._

 _"But one day… ugh, I can't remember. Something happened… and then, I don't know how long I've been asleep. I found myself in some foreign country. So I took the first flight home, and here I am."_

"Hmm… interesting, _herr_ Klaus," Amelia wondered. "But tell me: how exactly do these collars work?"

"With simply the push of a button." He showed her the remote, and pressed the button, showing the immediate response. Amelia smirked evilly, imagining the terror they could cause.

* * *

The team reunited at the Varmitech mansion.

"Come on, I really didn't do that on purpose!" Zach tried to explain to the fierce looking shark mutant and the rest of the team. "I don't even know how I did that!"

"He's telling' the truth. For once, he is," Mina analyzed his expression. He was sweating in pure fear. "Although I locked Chaos inside his mind, he's still trying to take over again."

"Geez, doesn't he ever give up?" Chris complained. As he placed his hand on the desk, thorny vines appeared, making him gasp.

"Let me guess, your version of uncontrolled powers?" Aviva wandered.

"I guess..." he gulped.

"Back to topic, Zach can use Chaos' powers now?" Koki asked.

"Uh, I have my own questions: who is this "Chaos" and who is that lady?" the villain asked, pointing at Eris.

"You look like him…" Eris observed the inventor. "You even talk like him... but somehow, it does not feel like him."

"Hey, what do you mean exactly?"

" **Mommy..."** Chaos' voice echoed from somewhere. Zach screamed like a little girl.

"What was that?!" he shrieked.

"It's Chaos! At least, his voice," Mina recognized.

"Don't tell me..." David muttered. He looked down at the pale skinned man's shadow. Zach turned to see two glowing eyes staring at him, and shrieked, hiding behind the team.

"Well, Zach now have reasons to fear his own shadow," Jimmy tried to joke.

 **"Speak for yourself, Pyce,"** Chaos seemed to taunt. Jimmy yelped. Zach's shadow seemed to be moving on its own! It flew out the window of the mansion.

"Okay, that is officially the freakiest thing I've ever seen. At least, it's on the list," Bite-Size commented, as he took a look inside his bat box in his bat form, as it was laying on the desk. "Wow, it's filled with cobwebs."

"He's still trying to take control of the planet?" Koki questioned. "Gee, Zach's sure a short-spirited person."

"Hey! I still hear you, you know."

"Let's get that shadow before he repeats what he did to the Tortuga last time, or worse!" Aviva yelled. The team agreed, running after Chaos, while Zach shivered in shock. Eris, the only one who stayed, could only watch them leave.

"I don't… I don't understand… I feel so... strange..." The goddess of discord felt her head spinning. Zach instinctively supported her.

"Wait, why did I do that?" he questioned himself. The Zachbots just shrugged.

* * *

Aviva, Koki, Jimmy, Elsa, David and Sam were getting ready to find Chaos. Bites arrived a little later with his bat box. Elsa picked up a glass container.

"You never know..." She commented.

"Are you sure you don't want us to go with you?" Martin asked Aviva.

"Trust me, guys. It'll be better this way. We don't want your situation to get worse," Koki commented, pointing to the stripes on their heads.

"Be careful, _querida_. I don't want him to do something worse with you." Ventus gave his beloved a peck on the lips.

"I will." Aviva left with the others, and Zach arrived with Eris.

"Wow… what's wrong with her?" Ventus asked. "And why did I ask that?"

"Because you care. Simple as that," Chris commented.

"Touché," the Kratt in white agreed. A buzz cam entered the HQ, coming from Varmitech mansion.

"Hmph. And you say I constantly spy on you, huh?"

"We don't do this all the time. There are also the fish cams," Martin commented, receiving a slap on the back of his head, showing he was not helping.

"We had to be alert. This situation is way worse than anything you, Donita, or even Gourmand can cause, Zach," Chris said. "We gotta stay alert, or all discord breaks loose."

"Huh?" Martin looked at him.

"Sorry. Couldn't resist."

"Mind if we stick around?" Klaus's voice was heard from outside. Zach shrieked and hid behind Aviva's station, as the brothers came out to see what was going on. They saw in front of the HQ, an army of dangerous Predators, led by two familiar faces.

"Amelia Cutter!" Ventus exclaimed. "And Mr. Casanova!"

"Well well, if it isn't the birdbrain of the trio," Klaus taunted. "Time for a little payback from our last encounter."

"Well said. After all, you have played with _mi querida_ 's feelings," the Kratt in white growled. "A crime I can't forgive."

"Eh, really? A guy like you and a girl like her? What has the magical world come to?"

"Says the guy who's single." His brothers held in their laughs. Klaus growled in fury.

"You're going to be roadkill when I'm done with you!"

"Hah, right. Let's just see you try." Ventus readied his blade. It was a wonderful sword, with silver marks all around it.

"Oooh..." The bros' eyes widened.

"Cool, eh? Just one of the few things I kept in my room back home."

Klaus grabbed a sword of his own. " _En garde!"_

" _Allez_ , you heartbreaker!"

*BG music: The Prodigy - Omen*

Klaus made the first move, attempting to thrust his sword forward. However, Ven made his sword go up.

"Ha! What was that?" the former Air Guardian mocked. "Uncle Ares would say that was horrible!"

"Well, tell your uncle that he should eat his words!" Donata pulled back, as they continued fighting. The brothers faced the army of Predators by Amelia's side, using their weapons.

"You're going down, Kratts!"

"Not today, we're not!" Martin proclaimed, as he kept the beasts from biting him. "Geez, what did she give them to eat?"

"Nothing good, I fear," Chris commented. Even after blocking one monster, more just followed.

"Ugh, I don't think I can't handle for longer!" Martin felt his sword nearly falling from his hand.

"Me neither!" Chris saw his hands were starting to go sore from holding the bow and shooting arrows. Then, he saw something that made him gasp. "Ventus!"

"Don't worry. I can handle him," Ventus said, confident of his victory.

"No! Behind you!" Martin yelled, seeing the situation as well.

"Huh?" Ventus was knocked on the floor by a mind-controlled creature. He gasped as he faced the beast.

"Stop!" Chris pleaded. The young Donata raised his sword over the cornered Ventus. All he could do was leave a mark in Ventus' arm.

"Ow!"

"Bro!" Martin and Chris gasped.

"This is the end, birdbrain!" Klaus shouted, as he trapped Ventus on the floor.

Chris and Martin felt something snap inside themselves. Some kind of… wrath.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" his little brothers yelled in fury. Thorny vines and ice spikes shot from the ground. Klaus quickly moved away, letting his sword fall. But what was so different about them from previous times were that the vines were black and the ice was a tainted grey.

"*gasp* Retreat! RETREAAAT!" Amelia ordered the army, that looked as scared as she and Klaus were.

The brothers gave no notice at what they did, as the young Donata and the German scientist escaped with his army of critters to cause havoc. Ventus stood frozen in shock. The bros' glaring eyes were ice blue and toxic green.

* * *

The rest of the team looked around to find Chaos. It couldn't be that hard to find a fleeing shadow without an owner. Could it?

"Okay, guys. Keep your eyes open for any signs of shadows," Aviva warned.

"There's shadows everywhere," David said. "This is a park, you guys!"

"Just look for one that's not moving THAT much with the wind," Aviva commented.

"There!" Jimmy pointed at a moving spot of darkness. He tried catching it, but ended up bumping his head in a tree.

"He's too fast!" Koki exclaimed.

"Or we're too slow," Jimmy commented.

"There it is!" David tried catching him with a lightning attack.

"No, he's there!" Sam moved his shark tail, bumping it on a nearby tree.

"No, I see him!" Aviva attacked a branch with her tessens. Elsa observed everyone attacking in different directions. Then, she looked up to see Chaos was causing this, moving in different directions, confusing the team.

"Oh, for Hera's sake!" Elsa said in irritation. She froze everything with her time power, and easily slammed the glass over Chaos. Time returned to normal. "Gotcha."

The shadow slammed against the glass, but couldn't get it to topple over.

"Wow..." Aviva commented. "Who knew something so simple could be used like this?"

"The Kratt Bros," Jimmy commented. Koki nodded in agreement.

"Phew, been a while since I used my magic." Elsa wiped her sweating forehead. "Need a little more practice."

"That's my sister," David commented.

"She's my sister too," Mina corrected.

"I knew her longer."

"I'm actually related to her."

"Children, you're both great siblings. Now mind helping us keep You-Know-Who trapped?" Sam interrupted.

"Leave it to me." Koki sealed the glass container with her fire abilities. "I wonder if the bros are doing fine all by themselves..."

* * *

Ven was paralyzed by the ice blue and toxic green eyes that stared at him.

"B-bros? T-they're gone… I-it's okay..." he tried to take them back to their senses, shivering as he talked. His fear suddenly disappeared, since in a blink, their eyes were back to normal.

"Ugh… what happened? Everything went dark for a few seconds," Chris said, supporting his aching head with a hand.

"V-Ven… th-this is Darkness?" Martin stammered.

"Maybe even worse, bro… I fear Chaos' power will possibly unleash… THEM," Ven gulped.

"Who?" Chris asked. The eldest brother stood up and flinched from the wound on his arm.

"I'll explain later. For now, I'm glad the army retreated. It'll give you time to calm down." Ven sounded really serious.

Chris and Martin still didn't know much about their past lives, but if Ven guaranteed that, they thought it could be better now to trust him about that.

* * *

Amelia was not happy about the situation at all, as she saw her Predators shivering in fear.

"How did they do that? How did they expel _meine armee_ so fast?"

"I don't know. It looked like some kind of… forbidden magic," Klaus hypothesized. "I have never seen them display such power before. And their eyes… there was something… dark about them."

"Hm… dark, eh?" Amelia wondered. "Interesting..." She got curious about the incident. "We should leave our army ready for a second attack. We may have lost this battle, but not the war," she proclaimed.

"This attitude is admirable," Klaus complimented. "I am glad we met, _frau_ Cutter." Amelia blushed in response, and Otto merely growled, a little jealous.

* * *

As the rest of the team returned to the Tortuga with the trapped Demigod, where Hermia was waiting for them, they saw Eris trying to undo his curse. However, she was sweating a lot from channelizing her powers.

"You were attacked by Klaus and Amelia's army?" David asked.

"I'm glad they retreated. This was NOT the best time," Ventus commented, flinching about the wound on his arm.

"Well, she always find the worst opportunity to attack." Elsa saw Ventus's wound. "Hm... nothing that a bandage can't cover."

"*sigh* I'm exhausted..." the goddess of Discord huffed. "I can't believe this is happening..."

"Well, at least Chaos didn't knock the HQ down again," Koki commented.

"Uh, guys..." Jimmy noticed, seeing the fly cam's recorded video from Varmitech Mansion. One showed Chaos doing something as Eris observed him. Something with his… shadow?

"Th-that's...!" Eris gasped.

"A power leech spell!" Ven informed. "Used to absorb energy from the nearest lifeforms. It's a forbidden spell that was ruled out of practice."

"Wow… but how did he ever get this kind of magic?" Mina wondered.

"Thanks to me..." Eris stared blankly. "But… never I would expect he'd… use it on me..."

"Wow…" Mina saw the expression on the goddess of Discord's face.

"I-I taught him all the dark spells as well as my own magic. He always said that he'll put his lessons towards getting the world for me when I..."

"Become the rightful Mother Nature?" Chris asked. "We know the story. We know you ran away after Hermia was crowned Gaia's heir."

"I… I thought he loved me..." Eris felt like crying. "I thought he understood me when I took him in as my own.

 _"I found him near the Underworld. He was just a boy, and didn't have a caring family, so he ran away._

 _"At that time, I was still simply Eiri. I saw him in the same situation I was: alone in the big, bad world, that looked like it hated me. I took him with me, and taught him everything I learned with Hades. After many years, he grew up into a fine Demi-God. And you know the rest._ "

The team went silent, sympathizing the goddess. Even Ven and David gave her looks of sympathy.

"Sister, I had no idea…" Hermia also felt a little bad for her big sister.

"Okay, Chaos! You caused enough problems for today. Now undo the curse on my brothers!" Ventus turned to the Demigod in rage.

 **"Sorry, but I specialize in casting curses, not removing them,"** the shadow replied.

"And apologize to your mom. You were cheating! Using someone else, someone that really loved you! That is not the kind of retribution any of us would have given their own mothers."

" **Let me out!"** the shadow hollered. " **Mommy, Chaos loves you. Please, help your baby..."**

"Hm… where have I seen this before?" Chris joked.

"Hey… I'm still here, you know?" Zach complained.

"Fooled me once… shame on you… But FOOL ME TWICE..." Eris simply turned around. "No… Way." Chaos seemed to kowtow in fear, as Eris gave the container a small hint of her still-low magic, trapping him inside a shadow cage.

She shook the cage as fast as she could, taking back her magic.

"Ah, that's better," she commented, feelings her powers return, and seeing Zach's shadow return to its position, as a signal that Chaos's part had been removed.

"Wow… that was pretty cool… I guess," David commented. Hermia had to agree with him.

"He used a lot of your power. It'll still take time for you to fully recover," Mina told Eris.

"I believe some friends on the other side can help with him," Eris proclaimed, feeling power enough to open a portal to the Underworld. Chaos was freed from the glass container and dragged by shadow hands.

"This reminds me a movie," Jimmy commented.

"Hey, guys, Clarissa informed that she's coming later. She, Susan and Christine were in some kind of girl reunion." Bite-Size arrived with his bat box, clean and painted again. Then, he saw the goddess of Discord and the tension around. "Uh… did I miss anything?"

"You don't know how much, Bites," Koki commented. "Oh, you cleaned and repainted the bat box?"

"Yeah… just an assurance that my "bat side" is still awake," Bites admitted. Koki chuckled.

"Wild Kratts! You are surrounded!" Amelia's voice was heard.

"It's Cutter!" Elsa exclaimed.

"Aw, not again!" Ventus grunted.

"At least, this time, you're not on minor number," Sam pointed out. "Together, we can deal with them."

Hermia smiled at his attitude, followed by the team.

"Sister… allow me to make amends. Let me help you… like they helped me now," Eris begged on her knees.

"Things HAVE changed," Hermia said with hope in her voice. "You have changed..." She cupped her sister's face filled with tears. "You really have changed." The team was surprised of seeing Hermia embracing Eris, and still, a little touched.

"WILD KRATTS!" they heard Amelia's voice. "Come and fight, you cowards! Or else the whole world will know about the Nature Guardians' cowardice!"

"That's IT! No one calls the Wild Kratts "cowards"! Prepare for battle!" Aviva ordered, conjuring her tessens.

"Got it," David said. He summoned his crossbow. Sam showed his claws.

"No, Sam… you stay here," David told his friend. "We need you and the girls inside in case any of they try sneaking in."

"Oh, no. We're coming with you. If Klaus found a way to injure Ventus, he must be very powerful now."

"Oh, he's just a normal, nose-in-the-air human that uses mind controlled creatures," Ven said, preparing his sword. "Nothing I can't deal with."

The team, minus Sam, ran outside to fight. The Guardians brought out their weapons and Mina and Elsa prepared their powers.

"Everyone! Try getting just the collars!" Chris ordered. "That'll break the mind control!"

"Attack!" The Tortuga's door opened and the team started the attack. The two forces collided. The Guardians were able to break off most of the collars, as Ventus and Klaus attacked each other.

"Surrender, you birdbrain! You were lucky last time, but this time I will rip you apart."

"Yeah, like I would do that, you casanova!"

Amelia fought against David and Elsa.

"How do you like my new partner? No doubts with him _meine armee_ will dominate this planet!"

"Under our dead bodies they will!" David commented. Amelia barely missed an arrow from his crossbow.

Mina and Elsa brought the confused and no-longer controlled new Predators and trapped them inside the Garage.

"Now you wait here till we get back," Mina teased. "And please don't chew on any of the inventions."

"I highly doubt they will," Elsa guaranteed, pointing at Eris that trapped the creatures in a shadow cage.

Klaus and Ventus rumbled against each other, until both swords fell on the floor. The two stared at each other panting.

"Give up?"

"Never..."

Amelia was thrown right in Klaus's direction. Right on that moment, Martin froze and removed the last collar.

"The last one is free. Aviva, Sam, get to work."

The two of them saluted, and prepared to undo Amelia's work and turn the predators back to normal.

In a cowardly action, Amelia threw Klaus's sword in Ventus' direction. Chris stood in front, protecting him with a crystal wall.

"Nice try, but you're not leaving a scratch on him this time." Chris's eyes glowed. However, the the sword missed the wall, and wounded his cheek. Chris flinched in pain and stared at the pair with that toxic green glare.

Amelia gasped. Never had she witnessed such a power-filled stare with such anger.

"Retreat again! We will be back, even stronger!" The two villains ran with what's left of their army (only four).

"Chris, easy dude," Ven said. Chris breathed in and out, as he placed a hand in his wounded cheek.

"Woo-hoo! They're running away!" Koki celebrated.

"We did it! Yeah!" Martin cheered, lifting her hand as the two jump in their victory. But then, she yelped and pulled away.

"Martin, your hands are freezing!" Koki exclaimed. "It's like you dipped them in ice water!"

"Ouch!" Aviva took her hands off Chris's shoulders as she felt something prick her skin. "Chris, are you wearing something sharp under there?"

"These are the effects of Chaos's curse on them. I fear Ice and Thorn can be unleashed," Ventus said.

"Who?" the team wondered. Hermia and Eris went tense.

"Right, I still owe an explanation.

 _"In the past, Aqua and Terra got into a fight with each other, and their corrupted powers generated consciences of Darkness. They were named Ice and Thorn, and immediately considered to be very dangerous. And so... Mom had me lock them away inside them."_

"Hermia made you do that?"

"Didn't even question. Just did what I was told to do." Hermia nodded. Eris observed, not saying a word.

"Is Darkness really that evil?" Martin asked unsurely.

"If Chaos and Eris caused such trouble..." Chris covered his mouth with his hand. "No offense."

"They're that powerful?" Mina asked in fear.

"As powerful as Black Storm, or possibly even stronger. But either way, they are a menace that must be contained." Ventus stared at the stripes in his little brothers' hair.

* * *

Amelia swore in German as she ripped all her plans, furious for losing to the Wild Kratts again.

"Calm down, calm down, _frau_ Cutter. All this can hurt your delicate throat." Klaus asked.

"Delicate?" Amelia stared at him. "I do not follow, _mein freund_."

"Amelia… never have I witnessed such beauty mixed with strength in my life." Klaus caressed her face. "I am more than ready to help you rebuild an army and defeat those meddling Wild Kratts, that only caused pain to me and my mother."

"Only if it helps me get rid of that Genosharp brat and his brat sister." She shoved him off playfully, as if… flirting with him?

" _Meine liebe_ , I am in your service." Klaus knelt in front of her. The young Donata gently took her hand and lightly kissed it. The scientist blushed again.

* * *

As the sun began to set, Chris leaned against the rail of the upper level, looking up at the peachy sky. Aviva and the team released the critters once they were returned to normal. By that time, Clarissa returned to the HQ, followed by the Kratt Twins.

"I'm glad things worked well," he commented. "I think with time, Eris and Hermia will set everything between them behind."

"Me too. After all, it is never too late to make amends with people you care about. Even troublemaker-previously-antagonists. Right, Ventus?" Martin asked.

"Yeah..." Ventus chuckled. "If only Eris had a teeny, tiny bit more of her strength so she could..."

"She'll gain everything back with time, Mina said so." Then, they saw a portal nearby. "Speaking of her..."

"Hey, guys." Mina appeared. "Mom and her officially made amends! And she sent this as a thank you gift for you two."

"Cool!" Martin exclaimed.

"Hey! New jackets!" Chris exclaimed, holding up a jacket that was some shades darker than his usual one. It also had two lines crossing his torso instead of two thick ones on his sides. Martin got an identical one, but in darker blues.

"And are those earrings?" Martin asked. One was a pearl and the other was a jade.

"She said they carry a bit of her magic, and can help you prevent possible corruption."

"Cool! But… we never wore these things before."

"Relax. It'll only hurt for a moment, then everything will be fine again," Koki assured. With her help, and a few seconds of stinging, the earrings were in.

"They'll darken when there's signs of Darkness in you both," Mina explained. "It's the least that can be done for now. Since we can't get rid of it immediately, we have to find the best way to control it."

"Agreed," Chris said. Then, he noticed a bit of worry on his sister's face. "What's wrong?"

"Well… even though they made amends, I think it'll take long for Mom to fully apologize to her. In baby steps, they'll get there... I hope."

* * *

Luna flied back to the temple.

"I heard the good news. I am glad you and her made amends."

"Yes… but I am still concerned… about, you know…" Hermia admitted. Little did they knew is that Eris was hearing everything they were saying.

"I must not lose her once more. Not to that horrible thing..." Mother Nature muttered. Eris gasped, seeing a stripe of Hermia's hair turning white. "Darkness... Why must it exist?"

"Oh, dear..." Eris muttered, worried of what could come soon. "What have I done?"


	2. Episode 3: More Than Meets The Eye

Chris meditated in the Tortuga's shell. That was his method of possibly controlling his darkness. Unfortunately, Aviva and Koki were making so much noise on the computers.

"Hey! What's with all the noise?" Chris complained. "Some people are trying to meditate around here."

"Sorry, Chris. We're making the Tortuga a security program."

"Really? What for? We already have tons of security in the Tortuga," Clarissa asked, carrying Mina on her back.

"No, I mean a program to handle the security for us. That way we don't have to keep resetting it."

"You mean like an A.I.?" Chris wondered.

"Well, the basic is to be a program able to handle all the defense systems in the Tortuga," Aviva said. "That includes locking all entrances, lower tellurium power, stuff like that."

"Well… that sounds promising," Chris admitted. "But can you please make just a little less noise? I haven't been meditating well these days, no matter what I try."

"Okay, okay… I'll try to- Ouch!" Aviva held her finger.

"You okay?" Mina asked.

"Yeah… just a little cut." Aviva showed her finger. Meanwhile, a drop of her blood got on the hard drive and it started sparking a bit. " _Ai, dios mio._ " Aviva grabbed a napkin and wiped the blood off. She inspected the drive. "Looks okay. Hope nothing changed the programming."

"Agh! Not again!" they heard Martin yell in dismay.

"Uh oh, I better get out there to help thaw the ice." Koki got up from her seat and headed outside. Chris and his sisters followed shortly after.

"Wait for me, guys! This is the best time to test the program!" After hitting a few keys, she reinstalled the drive before going after her friend. The drive started to glow a mint green.

* * *

Martin sighed sadly. For the third time, he froze the water he was NOT supposed to freeze. "What's the damage?" Koki asked as she came out.

"Nothing serious," Ven assured. "Just a mishap."

"More like a failure," Martin said shamefully. "I can't control it." His pearl earring was grey.

"Easy bro. It takes time to learn a technique."

"It's not a technique."

"But it's something similar."

"Kids, kids. You both rule. Don't you think you should take a break? You're sweating."

"Koki's right, bro. Maybe it'll be better for us."

" _Amigos,_ we finally finished it." Aviva showed up. "Come over to see a very special surprise!" The team quickly followed her back to the ship. It was locked. Chris was about to pull out his Creaturepod, but Aviva signaled him to wait.

" **Voice recognition required,"** a computer-like female voice said, surprising the team.

"Aviva Corcovado here."

 **"Voice recognized."** The door opened.

"Ta-da! A special security program! Now we don't have to worry about locking down everything at once!"

"We call it MAS-P. Main Artificial Security Program," Koki announced.

"Wow..." the Kratt Bros said.

" **Oh, Master Martin Kratt. You have a little mud on your face."**

"I do?" He brought a hand to his cheek. There was some dried mud on it. "How did..."

"MAS-P can use the security cameras like its eyes. It can see everything going on, in or outside the Tortuga."

" _Incrible_ , _querida_ ," Ventus commented.

" _Gracias_. Of course, Koki helped me out with its programming."

"Wouldn't it be more like "her"?" Sam asked. "It does sound like a girl."

"True. Okay then. MAS-P's a girl. And she's the ultimate defense program."

"Is she only for security purposes?" Clarissa asked.

"Well... If we add more functions to her, I think she can do more. But it took weeks just to build her base program. Maybe some time later this month."

"Yeah, my fingers are still sore from being at the keyboard everyday," Koki complained. "Finally, I can take a break."

Suddenly, an alarm rang.

" **Villain attack! Two villains detected at 44 meters from current location,"** MAS-P announced. " **Repeat: two villains detected at 44 meters from current location!"**

"She works perfectly!" Mina commented.

"Which of them?" Jimmy asked.

" **Analyzing data… Ms. Amelia Cutter and Mr. Klaus Donata."**

"So Amelia decides to show herself again," Samuel said. "Let's go see what she's planning now!"

"Wait. Can you and Ven stay here and help hold the fort in case future predators attack?" Aviva asked them. "Plus, Chris might be needing help in training later."

"Okey-dokey, _querida_!"

"If they try to get in the Tortuga, hm, I'll strangle them," Sam commented.

"Let's go, Wild Kratts!" Martin exclaimed, and everyone else left.

"I hope things will go smoothly," Ven said to Sam.

"Me too." Unseen to them, a small short circuit happened. The lights turned off for a moment, then returned.

"Uh… weird."

"I better check the tellurium crystals," the shark mutant said, heading to the engine room. Unknown to either of them, a small load bar came up on Aviva's monitor. It was quickly filling in green.

* * *

Amelia activated a brand-new device she and Klaus built during the events of their first meeting. Since then, they've been living together.

"Come, _mein armee_! Come and aid us! _Willkommen_!"

David and the team spied from bushes, trying to get a good sight of Amelia.

"There she is. She and Klaus opened a portal close to that small cabin. But how?"

"She has been working with Klaus, remember? He's a prodigy in technology," Aviva reminded them.

"I say we prepare for anything. If she's conjuring more Future Predators, it'll be a matter of time before she tries attacking us, or worse, other creatures!"

"Let's find out for sure. Bites, it's up to you," Koki told Bite-Size. The brown bat saluted and flew to the cabin to further investigation.

* * *

"I hope they're doing fine," Ventus said, playing with his wind powers while Sam rested in a hammock. The Earth Guardian from the future focused on the tree that grew in the HQ. It began shaking a little.

"Hm, guess my own powers are getting a bit rusty," he commented.

"I can help with that," Chris offered. When he touched the tree however, poison ivy grew around the trunk. He backed away in shock.

"Uh, maybe after you learn to control your own powers again, bro," Ven said.

 **"Masters Vincent Kratt, Christopher Kratt and Samuel Jawclaw..."** they heard the program call for them. " **Can I talk to you?"** Sam, Chris and Ven turned to the screen. To their surprise, there was a young girl standing _in_ the screen.

She looked about Sam's age with short, wavy, turquoise hair with sky blue eyes. Her skin was tan, but had a greenish hue. There was some teal plating on her cheeks, very similar to the Tortuga.

She wore a white tank top under an open blue green jacket. Her pants were matching jean capris. She had white ankle length socks and teal convers.

"... MAS-P?" the Kratt in white questioned. "Is that you?" The program brought "her" legs into a cross leg position. "She" averted her gaze.

" **I-if it's all right, Master Vincent, I want to be called M.A.T.I.** "

"M.A.T.I.?"

 **"Main Artificial Tortuga Intelligence. Mistresses Aviva and Koki programmed me to be a simple security program. I don't know how... but I can think by myself now."** The A.I brought her legs to her chest.

Sam just stared at her look. "Oh my... she's gorgeous..." he mumbled.

" **Define "gorgeous", Master Samuel,"** M.A.T.I. asked. The bros looked at the Neo-Human. Sam's eyes widened in surprise.

"You heard me?"

" **Affirmative. Now, please, can you define "gorgeous?""**

"Uh… forget what I said. Wow, that's awesome! The crew really needs to-"

" **No! I mean... not now."**

"Why?"

 **"I'm scared of what they'll think if they found out that they created a "living" program instead of what they intended."**

"Don't be like that, M.A.T.I. They won't be so mean to you. And by the way, stop calling us masters. You're our new friend. Call us Ventus, or Ven if you want, Chris, and Sam," Ventus requested.

 **"Is it really okay?"**

"Of course." The program weakly smiled at that statement.

 **"Thank you... friends."**

* * *

Bite-Size entered the cabin through a small hole, and looked from behind the cuckoo clock.

"Wow... it's bigger inside than outside."

" _Mein lieber_ Klaus, since we met, my stay back in my home timeline has been really less unbearable."

"Amelia, _meine liebe_ , my life has also been magnificent since I met you. Mother will sure love to meet you personally."

"Sheesh." Bites made a disgusted face. "You've gotta be kidding me," he squeaked under his breath.

"The portal is working at full power. We won't even need to leave our love nest. Our predators will annihilate anyone that tries messing up our brilliant plans." The bat left the place, not wanting to hear or see anything else.

"Bites? What did you see in there?" Koki asked, lifting her hand for him to land.

"You look like you've seen a thousand rattlesnakes, buddy," Martin commented. When Bites told them what he just saw, they all gasped.

* * *

"So, M.A.T.I… since you're able to think for yourself… do you have any creatures you like?" Chris asked.

" **Well, I do like gazelles and marine creatures, especially parrot fish,"** the program said meekly, showing an image of a parrot fish. " **But, I think it's really either that or whale sharks. They have that cool pattern, after all."** A whale shark picture came up.

"Guys!" Aviva called on the screen. M.A.T.I stayed silent. "You will not believe what Bites saw in Amelia's place!"

"What, Aviva?"

"First, she's conjuring an bigger army of Future Predators. Second… she and Klaus are DATING!"

"They're WHAT?!" Sam shrieked. "Geez, who knew Amelia could love? Right, M.A.T.I.?" He covered his mouth with his hands.

"Maddie? Like in Maddie, the fox? She's here?"

"Uh..." Sam gulped. "F-forget I said that!"

"U-uh, I think it's best that you all return to HQ!" Ven stepped in. "If Amelia's forces catch you, I don't want to know what they'll do!"

"Uh, too late to worry!" Martin gulped. "We've been detected!" A Future Predator started sniffing something in the air.

"Run!" Aviva gasped. The team escaped as fast as they could.

Amelia and Klaus came out of their cabin.

"Looks like we've got snoopers," Klaus growled. "May we send our army now?"

" _Ja._ "

* * *

In the HQ, Sam shivered in fear. He could not take Elsa's reprehensive stare.

"What's going on, Samuel?" Elsa asked, seeing through his face that he was clearly lying. "I know that expression."

"Uh, what is she doing?" Chris asked David.

"She's giving him her "I-know-you're-hiding-something" stare," the Time Guardian explained. "Living with him for four years makes you able to tell when he's lying."

"V-Ven, Chris and I promised to keep her a secret until she was ready to show herself, okay?" Sam finally confessed.

"Who are you talking about?" Clarissa questioned.

" **... Me,"** M.A.T.I. admitted, fearing her friend was going to be scolded. However, she did not appear on the screen.

"MAS-P?" the techno girls gasped. Green letters suddenly came up on the screen.

 **"Yes, Mistresses?"** She still didn't show her form.

"I… created something AWESOME! I never thought I could be able to create an A.I.! It's incredible!" A green "!" popped up on the screen.

"B-but how?" Koki asked.

"Hmm... remember when my finger got cut while we were creating her?"

"Don't tell me that somehow, a drop of blood ended up mixing with the data we were using to program her?"

"Big cliché alert and most probable explanation," Martin said.

"Does that mean she can control anything here?" David asked.

"Well, she's pretty much able to control the Tortuga itself," Ventus explained.

"She has access to the ship's network and functions. I guess you can say she is the mind of the Tortuga," Chris added.

" **I... even gave myself a form."** She finally showed them her programmed form, not making eye contact with the crew.

"Wow... You're beautiful." Aviva and Koki smiled. M.A.T.I. blushed.

 **"You really think so, Mistress?"** the A.I. finally truly spoke.

"Of course. And you can drop the "mistress" thing. Just call us Koki and Aviva."

"You know what, M.A.T.I?" Aviva said, surprising the A.I. that she's using her chosen name. "Guess you don't have to be stuck in the Tortuga's structure forever."

She rushed to the garage, and brought up some mannequin pieces, along with some spare parts. "I was going to use these parts to build a mannequin… you know, for the good of Jimmy. But I guess they fit you better."

" **Really?"** M.A.T.I. asked, expressing her happiness. Koki installed a pendrive in the Tortuga's keyboard, and M.A.T.I. entered it.

Aviva set all the pieces in place, and Koki installed the pendrive in the back of the head. Once M.A.T.I entered that new structure, it started to glow green.

Once the glow ceased, the team gasped in admiration. It didn't look anymore like a bunch of spare parts: there in front of them was M.A.T.I, in the same style of her data form, smiling sheepishly at them.

"Wow... a living A.I," Martin observed her features. "You really outdone yourself, Aviva."

"Well... many scientists discovered things by accident," Aviva said.

" **Example: Isaac Newton would've never thought about the possibility of gravity if it weren't for the apple that fell on his head,"** M.A.T.I stated.

"*chuckle* Even when not in the computer, she still is smart," Clarissa said.

" **Probably it was the genetic sample Aviva 'accidentally' passed on to me,"** M.A.T.I joked.

"Either way, you're-" Sam started, but then remembered the others and shut his mouth. He blushed a bit and averted his gaze.

"Uh, forget what I said." The team just looked at each other in confusion.

"Is that your catchphrase?" Martin asked. "Really catchy." He chuckled.

"Very funny."

Suddenly, a sound was heard from outside. The Tortuga's leg was being crushed!

"Oh, boy. She already conjured her full army!" Aviva saw everything from the cabin. The Predators kept tackling the ship's legs.

"The Tortuga's not going to hold out against these Predators much longer! We have to get this into Angry Turtle Mode!"

"But the command for that is on the bridge! And we can barely stay on our feet!" Koki replied, falling back down at the next body slam from the Predators.

" **I can reach the bridge!"** M.A.T.I confirmed. " **Plus, I believe I have a better way to expel these things!"** She ran outside to face the beasts.

*BG music: Daft Punk - Technologic*

M.A.T.I stopped in front of the creatures. Energizing her fists, she attacked them with green lasers.

"What parts were in her mannequin?" the technician asked the mechanic.

"Spare parts from… old robots I built in the past."

Martin, Chris and Ventus sure wanted to help their new friend. So each one got his CPS and a Creature Power with correspondent DNA: respectively porcupine, panther and lion.

"To the Tortuga Rescue!" the brothers said. Each of them helped M.A.T.I. to expel the Future Predators, either by attacking with claws, scaring them with a roar or leaving quills stuck on their body.

Eventually, they all retreated, whining back to their masters.

"M.A.T.I, you. Are. Awesome!" Martin commented.

" **And you're out of quills,"** the A.I. pointed out. The other two chuckled.

"My hero..." Aviva purred close to her "white lion", making Ventus smile confidently.

"OUR heroes," Jimmy corrected. "But there's one thing I'm fearing… if Amelia opened a portal, she can bring more predators and spread them around the world. Who knows how much damage she can cause?"

"You're right, JZ! We need to warn everyone to prepare. Let's activate Operation Thunderdome!"

"Operation Thunderdome?" Samuel wondered.

" **You do not know what it is, Sam?"** M.A.T.I asked.

"Well, I have just recently joined the team, so I don't know every base of operation."

" **It basically consists on traveling around the planet to prepare our allies and the creatures for a mass emergency. It was kept a secret until this moment, since this IS a huge problem."**

"How did she know that?" Clarissa asked Aviva.

"Uh, we kinda also programmed every operation code we have into her memory," she explained. "But my, in this case, we should leave right now to start the operation! This is such an alarming situation!"

"In that case, who's up for buffalo berries?" Jimmy called. "We're first heading to the prairie for some buffalo berry pie to celebrate M.A.T.I's birthday!"

"Buffalo berry pie?!" Aviva squealed, delighted.

"Well, I never tried such berries before," David and Samuel said at the same time.

"Trust me. They're delicious. And even better when Jimmy makes the pie."

"And it uses no milk or eggs!" Mina added. "It's practically perfect!"

"A vegan pie? My kind of sweet!" the Time Nymph and shark mutant exclaimed.

"Wait, you're a vegan too, Sam?" Koki questioned.

"Don't let the shark tail fool you. I'm also more than meets the eye," Sam commented. Martin got in his face with an icy stare. After intimidating him, the Kratt in blue smiled and patted his head.

"Phew, glad that ended peacefully," Chris commented to Ventus, who nodded in agreement.

They all prepared for blast off to celebrate the arrival of their new member. One that WOULD be a great help for future adventures.


	3. Episode 4: A Bite-Sized Mishap

It was a calm morning on the prairie. Bite-Size and Mina sang Home on the Prairie together, as they arrived for lunch.

 _Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam_

 _Where the deer and the antelope play_

 _With so many creatures with interesting features_

 _We can go adventuring all day_

"We're home!" Mina called.

"Hey, kids. Lunch is almost ready," Jimmy said.

"Okay. Let me just turn back to normal, and then I'll start…" Bite-Size gasped, as he felt around his neck. He looked down and saw that his necklace disappeared. "Oh, no!"

"What's up, Bites?" Koki asked.

"My necklace! It's gone!"

"WHAT?" The crew asked.

"Uh… if your necklace's gone, how come you're still a human?" Martin asked.

"It's a modification Aphrodite made on it, remember? I can become human or bat by asking mentally. But only as long as I'm using my necklace."

"Are you saying you're… stuck in your human form?" Chris asked.

"Yup."

"Don't worry, Bites. We'll help you find it," Mina said.

"I know! Let's do as we did in the time we met Little Howler. Review all your day since the start, and maybe you'll know where to search for your necklace," Aviva suggested.

"Okay. Well, Bites and I went to see some of the cute prairie creatures after we had breakfast before anyone else…" Mina started.

* * *

" _I remember we left early just like my brothers. As Chris always says, "The early bird gets the worm."_

" _Oh, home on the prairie_

 _Where the deer and antelope play..._ " Bite-Size sang.

"Wow, you woke up singing great," Mina said.

"Thanks. I'm just really excited," the bat-turn-human said cheerfully. "I've never seen a prairie before."

"It's beautiful… plus, it's where my family lived some really cool adventures."

" **Well, you two sure rushed out in a rush,"** MATI commented through their Creaturepods. The A.I. let out a bit of a yawn.

"I guess this time, _we're_ the early birds," Mina chuckled. "Are my brothers still sleeping?"

" **What can I say? They're early birds when they want to."** The kids chuckled at that.

"True..."

" **So who exactly are you checking out? I mean, for a small habitat, there's a lot of variable creatures out there."**

"We're gonna check on ALL the creatures the crew saw in the prairie adventures," Bite-Size said.

"So I guess we'll be out all morning," Mina said.

" **Well, then you better get back for lunch. You know how your bros get worried when you're not nearby."**

"I left a note for them. Don't worry," Mina guaranteed. The two heard something like a "bawk" or something nearby. "Speaking of creatures, I think one is nearby. We'll see ya later, MATI."

" **Good luck. Zap out."** The program's image disappeared.

"Where did it come from?" Mina looked around, with her ears alert. Bites made his bat ears appear, so he could hear better.

"Over there in the tall grass." The two approached slowly and pulled the grass apart so they could see.

"A prairie chicken!" they both quietly said in amazement.

"Awww… he's cute!" Mina said. "And he sure can dance," she observed.

"I feel like dancing too. Come on, toots!" Bite-Size invited Mina.

Soon they were chuckling and dancing with the prairie chicken.

"Look, female prairie chickens, I guess," Bites pointed out.

"Yup. They're females. The males are more colorful than them. It's so amazing how each bird has a special dance to attract mates. Just like the birds of paradise from the Birds of a Feather adventure." Mina had picked up the Wild Kratts Diary, and opened rightfully on the chapter.

"Viva does look good as a _parotia lawesii_ ," Bites complimented.

"Uh-oh. Incoming!" Mina pointed out. "DUCK!" The two kids immediatly hid in the grass with the chickens. There, trying to get some food, was a prairie falcon.

"That's no duck! It's a prairie falcon!" Bite-Size exclaimed.

* * *

"Hey… Maybe it fell when we ducked to escape the falcon," Mina suggested.

"Worth to take a look," Bite-Size said. Immediately, the team followed the kids.

* * *

They searched around the tale grass for a while, but nothing was found there, besides prairie chickens and flowers.

"Nothing..." Bite-Size sighed.

"Okay… what did you guys next?" Koki asked.

"Hmm… well..."

* * *

" _We decided to follow that prairie falcon, and see where he could possibly take us."_

"Wait up, Thor!" Bite-Size called.

"Thor? Like in the Norwegian mythology thunder god?" Mina asked.

"Yeah, why not? Sounds fitting enough for someone with such a fast and powerful attack."

"Agreed."

The two followed the falcon for a long time, until it flew away. They stopped for a moment to take some breath. Mina suddenly started giggling. Bite-Size stared at her in confusion. They looked down and saw a small, black-footed ferret sniffing her leg.

"Hey… I know you! You're Bandito, aren't you?"

"Yeah, how did you know my name?" the ferret asked.

"Let's just say my big brother once crashed by your home. I'm Mina, and this is Bite-Size."

"Hey."

"Howdy, partners. Tell me, is the falcon gone?"

"You mean Thor? Yeah, pretty gone if you ask me," the bat-turn-human said.

"Uh-oh..." Mina looked up to see… a stampede of bison! Comnig to them!

Mina and Bite-Size shrieked in panic. "Uh oh! Great meeting you two! But I gotta get start diggin'!" Bandito dove back to the ground.

"Yikes!" Bite-Size gasped, calling for his bat wings, to get Mina away from that part of the prairie.

"Phew. That was close," he said.

"You said it," Mina said. "Now I know how my brothers felt in the _Where The Bison Roam_ adventure." As they landed, she observed the bison stampede with her binoculars.

"And it sure doesn't seem easy to lead with these guys," Mina said. "They're really strong and fast."

"Not as fast as that guy!" Bite-Size pointed out. There was Pacer, the pronghorn.

"Wow…"

* * *

The crew reached the exact place from where Bite-Size saw Bandito, then flew away. But there were no necklaces there as well.

"Are you sure you haven't seen anything like this?" Bite-Size asked, showing Bandito a drawing of his necklace.

"No, sorry, guys," Bandito said.

"Aw, bummer..." the bat-turn-into-human sighed.

"Next, we decided to see where Pacer could possibly take us. We had no idea of how far we were going," Mina remembered a little more.

* * *

" _Pacer surely was fast, and we were both getting exhausted from playing tag with him."_

"Okay… time-out… time-out..." Bite-Size fell on the floor, panting.

"Wow, this pronghorn can run. No wonder he won the competition in _The Amazing Creature Race_ adventure."

"And no wonder Nolan was so excited about pronghorns."

"Well, according to my brothers, they _are_ the best running creatures in the world," Mina pointed out in the Diary. "Wow… not even a cheetah can win against this guy."

"Man, the creature world has lots of info," Bites said.

Suddenly, they heard a howl.

"Coyote!" Mina pointed out. "AKA prairie wolf!" A tan furred coyote came up to them and gave Mina a sniff. "And not just any coyote. It's Tracker! Right?"

"Indeed, toots," the coyote confirmed. "You smell familiar. How do you know..."

"My brother Martin gave you that name," Mina explained.

"You mean the human and his friends that followed me everywhere in the prairie? Not to be mean, but a coyote needs his space."

"Yup, it's them all right. They got lost in the prairie, trying to find each other and the Tortuga after a twister."

"Yeah, twisters are surely a problem 'round these parts."

"What's a twister?" Bite-Size asked. "Is it worse than a thunderstorm?

"Oh, WAY worse, boy. Not that we get a lot of thunderstorms on the prairie. But once we have one… run for your life." Bites gulped at that.

"A twister, in the technical way, is a violently rotating column of air," Mina read in the diary. "For me, it's a thing from the Anemoi, the wind gods. There is one god for each cardeal direction: Boreas, the north wind god, Zephyrus, the west wind god, Eurus, the east wind god and the south wind god Notus."

"Oh... ever saw one of them?"

"No, unfortunately," Mina sighed. "Looks like they're invisible... most of the time."

"Well... I gotta go. I'm starving," the coyote said.

"Okay. It was nice meeting you, Tracker," Bite-Size said.

'Same here, folks. Toodaloo!" Tracker left to search for food.

"He's cool," Bite-Size said.

"Totally."

* * *

"... Nothing here too," Bite-Size sighed. He squeaked in sadness.

"Don't worry Bites, we'll find it," Koki assured him.

Suddenly, they heard a yip sound. " **What was that?"** MATI asked.

"Hey! That's where we went next! The prairie dog town!" Bite-Size remembered.

" _We arrived there, and saw many of them sniffing around, minding their own business."_

"Aww..." Mina said. "How adorable!"

"I heard Koki got a little cuckoo after spending some time with them."

* * *

"Hey, you can't blame me! How could I have known when they wouldn't stop hollering?" Koki complained, interrupting Bite-Size.

"Geez, Koki. Bites is right. All they did was yip around, and you got all cuckoo," Martin joked. Koki grunted.

"I didn't know where to go that time. Probably you did the same I did, kids."

"Actually..."

* * *

The prairie dogs yipped. The two kids giggled.

""Yip" to you too!" Mina said, starting to yip and hop around, joining them.

"Hey, wait for me!" Bite-Size thought it would be fun to imitate the prairie dogs. The two yipped and hopped around, laughing at some points, until they bumped into each other. They laughed once they fell, and started observing the sky.

"Wow... how calm and beautiful this place is..."

"Surely is. Wait, what time is it?" Bite-Size asked.

"It must be already lunch time. I think we should head back to the Tortuga."

"Okay." The two immediatly stood up, and started returning to the Tortuga, seeing they've only been running around it, despite the distance.

"Not so far from there," Bite-Size said. "Hey, one more time. One... two... three..."

 _"After that, we were singing our way back home."_

* * *

"And the rest is what we've been through," Bite-Size finished.

"At least you knew how to take the yips as fun," Koki admitted. "Maybe it wasn't fun for me that day, 'cause I was worried."

"We understand, Koki," Bite-Size said. "I only hope it's here. It's the last place we've been."

 **"But this town stretches for miles,"** MATI pointed out. **"How are we going to find it in there?"**

"Well, there _was_ a prairie dog pup that was following us while we were yipping around, wasn't there?" Mina asked Bites.

* * *

Mina and Bites yipped around with the prairie dogs. The nymph turned around to see a prairie dog pup following them.

"Oh, hello," Mina greeted while still hopping.

* * *

"Yeah... Skip followed us until we bumped into each other," Bite-Size chuckled.

"You think it probably fell in a prairie dog tunnel?" Aviva asked. "Or maybe the pup took it with him down the holes?"

"But do prairie dogs pick up things like that?" Bite-Size asked.

"Well, like all baby mammals, prairie dog pups are curious," Martin explained. "They have to be taught what to eat, what to avoid and how to survive."

"Waaa!" they heard a cry from somewhere.

"Hey, are you guys hearing that?" Bite-Size asked.

Then, they heard a bird call. "Look! It's Thor!" Mina pointed out. He was flying around whoever was making that sound.

"Let's go!"

* * *

They arrived to see… a little boy in tan, Native American like clothes crying.

"Aww... _pobrecito_ ," Aviva said. "What's a little boy doing out here all alone?"

"Wait... he has my necklace!" Bite-Size saw the half-heart necklace on the boy's neck.

"I recognize that particular spot. It's... Skip! That pup that followed us!" Mina recognized her little prairie friend. "Wow! I didn't know your necklace worked on other creatures too."

"Me neither. Also didn't know it could work involuntarily. But I'm glad we found it," Bite-Size said, as Skip calmed down. "Sorry, buddy, but I guess this is mine."

As Bite-Size put his necklace on, turning Skip back into a prairie dog, he mentally asked to become a bat again, and in a flash, there he was in his brown bat form again.

"Ah... that's more like it."

"I think Skip was crying because as a human, he looked strange to the other prairie dogs. I believe not even his mother recognized him," Mina deduced.

Skip's mother reappeared on a hole, and Skip chirped happily, as he rushed to her side.

"Mission accomplished!" Bite-Size cheered.

* * *

MATI brought the team's food, so they could have a picnic.

"Man, what a day," Bite-Size commented, as he finished getting all the bugs he could.

"Tell me about it," Mina said, eating one of her strawberries. "It was fun meeting all of your prairie buddies, and also making new friends."

"The world's full of creatures, and this bat here's ready to learn more about them. Later. But for now..." Bite-Size turned back to a human. "Guess I'll just yip around."

He started jumping and yipping, and the team started doing this as well. Koki sighed in defeat, but with a smile.

"If you can't win... join them." She joined the team in the yipping around, and also started laughing as the team bumped into each other.


	4. Episode 5: Tipota

The crew was currently stationed in Borneo. Aviva showed Mina some pictures of animals in a book, while she created images on her energy screen.

"And this one is a mammoth. You can say he's the elephants' ancestor." He pointed to a hairy creature, with a trunk and huge teeth.

"Wow..." Mina showed a huge interest, as she focused and created the mammoth image. "Science and magic learning at the same time was one of the best ideas you've ever had. This can surely help me in focusing on important things futurelly."

Suddenly, they saw something glowing in the woods. "Hey, what was that?"

"Hm… not sure… But it looks like some kind of battle." Aviva tried to take a better look.

 **"Analyzing the area,"** M.A.T.I. in data form informed. " **Not so far from here, actually."**

"Let's get the others and investigate." The inventor closed the book and she and Mina came down the shell to warn the team.

* * *

A nymph in a dark green dress, with big brown hair and emerald eyes, was facing a silhouette in the woods. She prepared an arrow and shot in a direction. A shriek was heard, and the sound of gigantic wings.

As the team approached, they saw the enormous silhouette fly above them.

"Wow..." Koki commented. "So… what exactly was that, Encyclopedia Kratt?"

"Too big to be an eagle," Martin replied.

"Too fast to be a falcon," Chris added.

"Too noisy to even be Ventus," Jimmy joked. The team chuckled. The girl that shot the arrow approached them, hearing the conversation.

"Hey... I think I know you. Must be the Wild Kratts."

"That's us!" Mina said cheerfully. "Hi there."

"Oh... and a Tipota. Um… it's nice to meet you too… I guess." Mina took a step back with an offended look on her face.

""Tipota"?" Aviva wondered.

"Oh, it's nothing, really. My name's Karen. I'm an Earth Nymph." Karen smiled to them. "You would not mind helping me with one thing, right?"

"That's what Nature Guardians are for," Chris said, with a smile. Mina observed the nymph that just called her that name. Something was not cool.

* * *

The Earth Nymph showed them a gryphon in a scroll.

"I was trying to catch that gryphon for protection measures at Artemis's temple. But I wasn't strong enough."

"That's a famous creature there. Half-lion, half-eagle," Chris commented.

"Can't he just make up his mind?" Jimmy shivered.

"Nope, they're born that way."

"Hope you all can help. Even the Tipota here," Karen asked. Mina pouted.

"And what does… Tipota mean… exactly?" Clarissa wondered.

"... It means nothing," Mina said in strange irritation, before leaving the place. The team turned to Chris.

"Don't ask me. I don't know as much Greek as I do Latin," the Earth Guardian said.

"Hmm… I judge it might be some kind of… nickname. People get irritated by nicknames sometimes. But then, they take it normally," Jimmy proposed.

"Hm… I see… in this case, why don't we try showing her a nickname isn't all that bad?" Martin suggested. The team agreed.

Then, the Kratt in blue turned again to Karen, who smiled, although a bit mischievously.

Elsa, David, Sam (who wore a holo-belt to hide his tail), and Ventus arrived with the groceries.

"Wow… what took you so long?"

"It was pretty hard preventing Sam from feeding himself before we got here," Ventus commented.

"Hey, I was hungry. You can't blame me."

David and Elsa rolled their eyes and chuckled, then noticed the guest. The two seemed to go tense for a few seconds before they relaxed.

"Karen? What are you doing here?" David asked.

"David? Elsa?"

"So nice to see you again after five years, Karen," Elsa greeted as cheerful as she could.

"Oh, Elsa, it really has been long," the other nymph replied. "Same to you, David."

"Uh yeah, back at you."

"Okay… What's with the tension?" Martin asked.

"Well… Karen is pretty athletic and talented… but she can be a little... hard to reason with."

"I don't follow," Aviva commented.

"Let's just say we have our different opinions on siblings," the Time Guardian replied.

"Oh, David, that would be what you would say," Karen said, pretending to chuckle. "Anyway, I really, really, REALLY, need to find this th-um, this creature."

"Although I'm not sure about capturing a creature that's not mind controlled, I say we help you," Martin said. Mina stared at her, unsure.

"Any clue valuable enough?"

"Well, just the place where it lives. The Gryphon's Nest," the Earth Nymph replied. "I know where it is."

" **Okay then, Karen, just point out the right directions on the map, and we'll know where to go,"** M.A.T.I., in data form, said.

"Sure thing."

"This better not take long," Mina muttered to herself.

The Tortuga immediatly left Borneo, and entered through a portal.

* * *

*BG music: Michael Jackson - Leave me Alone*

Throughout the ride on Karen's directions, the team tried to get Mina to warm up to her nickname. Ventus, David and Elsa had been summoned by Hermia for their report on Chris and Martin's current status.

"Hey, little Tipota, wanna help me here?" Aviva called.

"No… thank you," the Light Guardian replied rather harshly before leaving the room.

"Hey, Tipota." Chris waved.

"Oh. Hi."

"Tipota, what's wrong?" Martin asked.

"I'm fine. Just… give me some space."

The more the word was used, the more Mina felt bad. The voices of her friends saying "Tipota" echoed around her head, driving her to small tears.

The team was just in the end of the travel, and Mina couldn't take anymore of that word. She wanted to say something… but doubts entered her mind constantly: what if her friends didn't listen to her? What if they only followed Karen now? What if...

"Wow, are you okay, little Tipota?" Jimmy came in, chewing on a pizza.

At the mention of the word, Mina finally broke down.

"STOP IT! QUIT CALLING ME THAT!" the Light Guardian screamed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Did someone say "Tipota"?" Ven asked in seriousness.

"Whoa! When'd you guys get back from Hermia?!" the redhead gasped.

"As soon as we heard that unforgivable name."

"Dude! You don't call nymphs that! It's totally mean!" David scolded.

"Who was calling who a Tipota?" Elsa questioned in fury.

"Everyone! Ever since Karen got here, she started calling me that and then everyone started to call me that too!" Mina started crying.

"But you said Tipota meant nothing," Jimmy said.

"NO! I said it MEANT "Nothing"!" Mina yelled, furiously crying. Jimmy finally recognized all this time they've been calling Mina something bad.

"I knew something bad was going to happen once I saw that she stepped foot in here," David exclaimed. "She's been a magnet of trouble and doesn't like hybrids."

"Some people from our world think hybrids are weak," Elsa explained, as she knelt to comfort Mina. "They call them Tipota. In Greek... it literally means "nothing"."

"So we're actually saying you're useless?" Jimmy gasped, horrified. "And if you fight back, she'll confirm what she's saying?"

"Yes… ever felt opressed by being the way you are?"

"Sure I do. I'm a geek." He wiped her tears, embracing her.

"If something was hurting you, you tell us straight away! No secrets in this family, remember?" Elsa pointed out.

"Well, it's hard to make your point when EVERYONE seems against you," Jimmy pointed out, with a stern look.

"No one was against her, though." Elsa turned to the younger nymph. "Mina… do you really think this? Do you believe they're..."

"Forget it. My feelings aren't important now," she said sternly, as she walked outside, leaving the others worried. "All you listen to is _her_."

"What have we done?" Jimmy sighed. How could he be such a fool?

"Karen is going to be in SO much trouble when she gets home," Ventus stated. "I'll make sure of that by telling mom."

"And if you'll excuse me, I think I'll have a... long waited talk with her," the grey haired nymph said.

* * *

Elsa went back to the main hall. Karen was taking another look in the scroll.

"Karen." The younger nymph lowered the parchment.

"Yes, dear sister?"

"Don't give me that. I heard you've been using a little much of that… "hybrid word". Is this true?"

"Ugh," Karen groaned in annoyance. "Seriously, this again? I'm cool with you, you're a full nymph, but-"

"Don't you dare finish that."

"Hey… we're nearly there," Aviva informed, oblivious to the situation.

* * *

The Tortuga landed right close to the ruins of a temple.

"There it is… the Gryphon's nest," Karen pointed out. "It's the only refugee for these bea - er, creatures."

"Hmm?" Sam hummed silently in confusion.

"M.A.T.I, stay alert just in case," Aviva told the A.I.

 **"Of course, Aviva. Opening side entrance."** The door automatically opened.

"Hey, Mina..." Martin tried to call her attention.

"Save it. I don't want to talk. Not. Now." That stun. She was still really ticked. The team didn't understand why.

"It's fine, Marty. I'll prepare my arrows." When Martin turned away, Karen smirked. "Finally, the gryphon will be min- in my teacher's temple." But Elsa, Sam and Mina's super hearing caught her mistake.

"Why, that little..." the Time Nymph growled under her breath.

"She calls herself a nymph?" Sam commented quietly.

"That does it! Time for some REAL justice. And I know how to start it." Sam and Elsa walked next to David and whispered something to him. He lightly growled.

"Okay, that's the final straw," he stated before tapping on Ventus's shoulder and telling him the message.

Luckily, Karen didn't notice the message being passed to the rest of the team as she was looking through her scroll.

"She what?!" Chris gasped quietly.

"I can't believe it!" Koki exclaimed, though not loudly. "First, she tricks us into unpotentially bullying Mina, now she was lying just to make a gryphon her pet?!"

"Well, WE didn't help much too," Martin sighed. "I feel terrible. So that's why Mina hasn't even talked to us since we got here." They looked at the Light Guardian, who was tagging along in the back, not even looking at them.

"We hurt her feelings… and I guess that's the price we're paying," Aviva gulped.

"Okay, stop now. Regretting isn't gonna solve anything!" Sam decided. "It's time to do some REAL justice!"

"And what do you propose?" Jimmy asked in an unenthusiastic tone. Sam stared at Mina, and at the Gryphon's Nest. He whispered his idea to the team. They all nodded.

"Karen? Can you wait inside the temple for us? We need to prepare for anything."

"But we're almost there," Karen protested.

"We can't catch the gryphon if we're unprepared," Aviva said. The girl groaned, but nodded.

* * *

The team entered the temple from the other side and observed the claw marks around, along with fur and feathers.

"Yep, definitely a gryphon nest," Chris commented. Then, they saw the creature asleep in front of them. "Sshhh… one little slip and we can wake it up." The group then saw two small figures enter.

"Look, Karen, I don't know what your problem is with me, but you've turned my whole family against me. And I-I want you to stop!" Mina said, rather afraid, being the only one that followed Karen.

"But it's the way it should be, missy. A true nymph can lead under pressure and tough choices, but a Tipota merely cries like a baby. Just like your sister did."

Mina gasped at the mention of Flora. Then, she growled.

"Don't laugh about her! I won't admit you mock her!"

"Why shoudn't I? It's her fault for falling for a mere mortal human! It's her fault more Tipotas are coming to the world! It's her fault that the Guardians are no longer themselves!" Karen pushed her hard, almost causing her to fall. "You Tipotas just ruin everything! All the trouble in this world is YOUR fault!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" the team's voices were heard.

"WHAT?!" Karen asked in shock. The team came out of their hiding place.

"We heard every word, Karen!" Koki snapped. "You're unmasked now, you little liar!"

"K-Koko?" the Earth Nymph shivered.

"You've been not only lying to us, but making us lie to our sister too," Martin proclaimed.

"M-Marty?"

"You tricked us into calling her a mean name!" Jimmy added.

"G-guys..." Mina simply stared at the team.

"Mina, we're sorry for not understanding how bad you were feeling. I know you are probably mad with us, but we would never truly call you something so horrible!" Aviva tried to apologize.

"Please, sister, forgive us," Chris begged. "We were dumb, we were oblivious, and we were wrong."

"Uh… guys?" Ventus called their attention. "Can't we talk about this later?" He pointed up to the gryphon. Too late. The creature's eyes snapped open, making Jimmy faint.

The creature stepped up and shrieked. The team prepared to defend themselves, fearing what could come.

The gryphon attacked with his claws and beak. The team made sure to avoid it.

"I wonder how Artemis accepted someone so selfish..." Aviva commented.

"Reminds me of another apprentice we know," Chris pointed out.

"Who knows? Who cares?! We're here and I'll take him with me!" Karen prepared an arrow.

Mina then noticed something the team didn't pay attention on.

"Wait! No! Don't attack him!"

"Just be quiet! It's not like you can do anything! The reason hybrids are Tipota is because they don't have magical powers like other nymphs! They are useless!"

"You don't even know me!" Mina argued hard, as the gryphon faced Karen.

"Just leave the adults to this hard work, you small, wimpy, stupid Tipota!" the Earth Nymph yelled, eventually even shoving her to the ground. The gryphon roared at the Earth Nymph.

The team was ready to defend again, until they felt something behind them. Mina got up with her fists on the floor.

"Just because you don't value my life... IT DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T VALUE YOURS!"

Mina's energy exploded in the background, forming a powerful sphere of light. Her eyes glowed an intense white.

"Wh-what's that?!" Aviva gasped.

Karen stared in fear at the girl whose hair and dress was flying up from all the force emitting from her.

At the Tortuga, M.A.T.I saw Mina's tiara glowing intensely. But it seemed like an irritated glow. She knew that shouldn't be good.

"She's overpowering herself! She really had enough!" Chris said.

Mina's angry stare turned to the creature. Afraid, it stepped back from Karen as Mina approached it.

"H-h-how does a T-T-Tip-" Karen stammered.

"DON'T SAY IT!" Ventus argued, furious.

"Sister… no..." Aviva stared at her brave little sister.

Mina's stare made everyone step back, a little unsure. But she proved herself not THAT behind control when she caressed the creature's head. The creature, finally calm, nuzzled the small nymph, and grabbed her dress with its beak, helping her to stand up.

"You're a nice calm boy..." The crew sighed in relief, seeing Mina climb on top of it.

Karen thought this was a perfect opportunity to get him, but the crew stopped her.

"We need to talk. NOW," Chris demanded, as everyone stared in disapproval. She started getting goosebumps.

* * *

Later in the Tortuga HQ, the team opened a portal to her.

"Time to go see your teacher," Ventus sternly said. The teen agreed, as Karen walked forward.

"I thought you Guardians were alright. But you're just like the Tipotas," she muttered.

"I'm going with you," Elsa said.

Once they left through the portal, Aviva approached Mina.

"Mina..."

"Flora. Inside you... Can she see me?" The girl felt like crying again. "Does she know how… how I… how I needed her to be there for me now?"

The team stared at her, feeling she was still a bit hurt about the situation. Aviva knelt down and hugged her little sister.

"Well… I'm here. I'll always be here."

Mina took a little while, but returned the hug, sobbing silently. The team joined in with a group hug.

Mina (voice-over): " _There'll always be people who say mean words because you're different. And sometimes their minds can't be changed. But there are many more people who don't judge others based on how they look or where they are from. Those are the people whose words truly matter._ "

Mina smiled at that group hug, feeling once more loved, just like it was meant to be.


	5. Episode 6: Rainbows of the Forest

The Tortuga was heading to the Brazilian Amazonic Forest. Inside the HQ, Koki talked with the apparently first Wild Kratts Teens.

"Well, we're nearly there, Isa," Koki informed an olive skin girl with long brown hair and a white flower in it on the screen. "I'm always happy to know there are more people wanting to help us protect our planet."

"And we're glad you guys are coming. The situation is very worrying." By her side, there was a taller girl with brown hair and glasses.

"Yeah… just wait till you get here to see what we mean. The situation is NOT good."

 **"Jimmy, land in that clearing over there,"** M.A.T.I. told the Tortuga pilot. "That's the WKT's treehouse location."

"Roger that," the redhead said.

Nearby the clearing was exactly a treehouse with blue and green WK symbols painted on it, on the top of a tree.

A different girl walked out onto the balcony. She looked younger and shorter than the two other ones, with dark brown hair in a ponytail and maroon colored glasses.

"Wild Kratts, you're actually here!" she cheered, once she saw the team coming out of the Tortuga. "I can't believe it! I'm Tami. I just recently joined the team."

"A newbie, huh? Me too," Sam commented.

"Whoa, you're huge. And you have a tail!" she primarily noticed. "A shark tail!"

"Eh..."

"Are you from the future?" The mutant's eyes widened. "O-or an alternate timeline with an apocalypse that made people part animal? Whenever did you become capable of time traveling?"

"Uh…" He had no way to explain how right she was, or how to answer her questions.

"Tami!" The tallest brunette lightly scolded. "Don't suffocate them with questions like this. Give them time, okay?"

"Sorry, Yara, boss..."

The team walked up the stairs that snaked around the base. Once inside the treehouse, they saw a tunnel with a slide.

"Where does this lead?" Martin asked.

"You'll see." Yara didn't hesitate to jump down the slide, and Tami followed a bit after.

Down the tree trunk, in the undergrounds, there was a huge place, decorated with posters, pictures, images of animals and many colors. The team was astonished.

"What do you think? Nothing like a Britain show and model heroes to inspire from," Yara commented proudly.

"We were thinking about putting up more posters, but Isa insisted there was enough for years of WKTs," Tami commented.

"Wow…" Chris commented.

"The macaws are right there, in our Creature Clinic." Tami pointed to a door built in nearby. The room inside was brightly lit despite the dirt walls and Isa was there too. "We take care of every little thing we find around these woods. Some of them rarely don't survive, but we keep trying. Luckily, Lauren and little Martin here survived. And we've been taking care of them ever since."

"You named the chick Martin?" Aviva asked.

"It was Yara's idea," Isa explained.

"What? I like Martin." Yara blushed.

"Teen crush alert..." Elsa whispered to Aviva.

"*gasp* Do you know what kind of macaw this is?!" Martin practically squealed. "It's a hyacinth macaw! One of the most endangered species in the world."

"When we found Lauren, her wing was wounded. Unlike other creatures, she wasn't so hostile with us at first." Isa explained.

"Well, macaws are very intelligent. They're social birds that often gather in flocks of 10 to 30 individuals. But these two were all by themselves?"

"Yup. Groups of macaws are simply disappearing from the forest. Their colors aren't cheering up the forest skies anymore..."

"Macaws are some of the most colorful birds in the world," Koki said. "There are only 17 species of macaws, and several are endangered. They make popular pets in North America, and many are illegally trapped for that trade."

"You don't think someone is stealing them to sell as pets, are you?" Tami asked. "I saw this in a movie, but never thought someone could be that cruel."

"That's taking wild animals out of their habitat. We've got to solve this mystery. The Mystery of the Rainbows of the Forest!" Ventus exclaimed.

"Hey!" Martin complained. "Can you guys stop stealing my mind's ideas?! How will we afford to fix that wall?"

The team laughed as they walked outside to start investigating. Yara, Tami and Isa looked at each other.

"Wall?" Isa questioned. Her teammates shrugged.

* * *

Somewhere else in the forest, hundreds of cages full of macaws were being loaded onto an airplane.

"Mother, I could not have better news. Soon, you'll make the most beautiful living feather hats ever!" Klaus explained via screen.

"Aww, that's my little man. I'll be waiting for the delivery. Love you, my little artist." Donita waved, as Dabio pouted in the background.

Klaus turned off the phone. "Brilliant. My great return to the fashion world could not be in a better way than this. I just hope THEY don't come here to ruin everything..."

* * *

The team sat around the round table in the center of the underground treehouse. Nearby Martin, Yara tried not to look shy in front of her hero. Tami had to snap in her face to regain her attention. Yara noticed the younger girl drawing something in a sketchbook. She smirked.

"What's this I see?" Tami blushed and guarded her sketch of a certain brunette brother.

"I can't help it. He's standing right there." Yara just chuckled.

"Hm… those wings are pretty impressive," Ventus said. Then, he gasped. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I think I'm thinking what you're thinking, bro," Martin commented.

"I think I'm thinking what you both are thinking," Chris said.

"What _are_ you thinking?" Isa wondered.

"Macaw Power disks!" the three of them said, giving a special handshake.

"Wow," Yara said. "That's what I call synchrony."

"Look at her feet. They're almost raptor like," Elsa commented.

"Exactly. Macaws also have gripping toes that they use to latch onto branches and to grab, hold, and examine things," Koki explained. "Due to their feeding habit, it's not a surprise."

"What do they eat?" Mina wanted to know.

"Macaws are herbivores. They have those large, powerful beaks that easily crack nuts and seeds, and their dry, scaly tongues have a bone inside them that makes them an effective tool for tapping into fruits," Aviva said, showing it on her Creaturepod. "That's why her beak is shaped like that."

Lauren gave a little squawk.

"She said that she should be teaching him how to fly in a week. Hopefully, her wing will be healed by then," Elsa translated.

"Uh, why didn't we think about this before?" Aviva sighed. "The Animal Comprehension. It's been too long since we used it." The team facepalmed. How could they forget about one of their first powers as Nature Guardians?

"Wow… you can talk with creatures now?" Yara asked. "We have a lot of questions to make, but the most important perhaps is What exactly have you been doing this whole time?"

"Read this, you'll know." Mina gave them the Wild Kratts Diary.

"Oooh…" The three stared at the book in awe.

"So you were picking food to your baby until your friends were starting to get caught?" Aviva used her Animal comprehension to understand Lauren.

"Precisely," the macaw answered. "My husband wasn't lucky enough. Whoever is capturing our fellow macaws is responsible for his fall."

"Who could ever dare to do that?!" Mina wanted to know. "Killing one poor macaw and arresting these wonderful birds in cold cages..."

"Well, we have four enemies now. It's probably any of them," Aviva commented.

"Four? Weren't there three?" Yara counted on her fingers.

"Not until a few months ago. Donita's son Klaus joined the bad guy team."

"Wow… I didn't know Donita had a son," Tami commented.

"I didn't know she had a LIFE," Yara commented, receiving lots of shocked stares. "Sorry, not discreet."

"Look… why don't you show them where the macaws used to be? This could be a good way to find clues to solve the mystery." Isa suggested.

"You're sure? It could be dangerous three cute girls like you out there by yourselves," Martin told them.

"Cute? *giggle* Trust us, the worse possible thing that happened all along is the dengue fever Isa had once. Now she's much better," Tami said.

"Besides, we know this forest like we know our treehouse, or the palm of our hands," Yara added. "Wait, this mark's new." She pointed to her hand.

"Besides, Yara's like a babysitter to us, so whenever danger's near, you would not like to touch her nerves," Isa pointed out. "Neither Tami's."

"But such young and pretty girls? What can they do?"

"Imagine facing a predatory mouse lemur miniaturized," Isa whispered to them. The two brothers gulped.

"That gave me nightmares for two weeks," Chris said, shivering. "And we wouldn't use the Miniaturizer for a month."

"Okay, w-we should probably go. The sooner we find the location, the sooner we find clues for the mystery," Martin decided, not wanting to remember that day. "Good luck you guys, we're off to find clues."

* * *

Tami led the brothers through the woods, and as any fan, asked millions of things about the current situation. Yara simply kept her eyes open for anything.

"And how does it feel to have a new brother? And about that guy with fangs and shark tail? And about that voice inside the Tortuga HQ? And about-"

"Whoa whoa, looks like someone had too much sugar this morning," Chris said, covering Tami's mouth with a finger. She quickly turned to hide her blush.

"He touched me..." she silently squealed.

"Uh, so, where do the macaws usually go?" Ventus quickly asked.

"Not much farther. We usually see lots of macaws on this side of the cliff," Yara pointed out. "It's where the branches are the most firm. We know because we used all the ones that fell first to build our treehouse's prime base."

"Yeah, flocks of macaws do like to hang out on rocky cliffs like this," Martin informed. "It's pretty cool how they can cling to these rigid, vertical walls. It's like they're mountain climbing without a rope and safety gear,"

"The perks of having raptorial claws," Chris commented. "Even though they don't hunt. Hey… what's this?" The Kratt in green saw some feathers on the forest floor and some tacks.

"Tacks? It's normal seeing this near our treehouse, 'cause we're almost always adding stuff to it, but not here." Tami thought.

"I highly doubt that any locals would come out this far," Martin pointed out. "We better split up. You girls go that way and keep contact with the Creaturepod."

"Uh-oh... I forgot my Creaturepod back home," Yara lamented.

"Again, boss? Looks like Isa owes me a request again," Tami cheered.

"Huh?" the brothers asked.

"We lose one thing, we draw one thing. It's kind of deal between us three."

"That explains the drawings around your base. Anyway, keep my Creaturepod, and call us when needed." Martin gave Yara his Creaturepod.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh..." she muttered. Tami gave her a hard pat on the back. "Um-ahem, good idea. We'll keep searching for clues, and call you if we find something suspicious."

"Okay then. We'll see you later then." The three headed back to the treehouse. Once the three were gone, the two of them squealed of happiness.

"I can't believe this! We were SOOO close to them!" Yara's eyes glowed in excitement.

"I know! I know! I can't believe HE touched me!" Tami jumped up and down. Then, she saw something on the forest floor.

"And, oh my goodness, I have HIS Creaturepod in my h-"

"Fan squeal later, boss! I found something over here!" Tami called for her friend. She found something strange.

"It's… a helmet. Though much too small for any of us." Yara took out her Creaturepod and started scanning it. "Actually… it's practically the size of a bird head."

Tami then heard a strange noise.

"Tool noises… Uh, Yara?"

"Hold on, Tami. I'm scanning this thing for Aviva," her leader brushed off.

"B-but… Yara..." The younger girl groaned in frustration and went to investigate herself.

"There we go. You got this, Aviva?"

"Affirmative," Aviva commented via Creaturepod. "This helmet and its symbol could not be more familiar. This is 100% Klaus Donata."

"You hear that, Tam-Tami?" Yara saw that her friend had vanished. "Oh, boy… not again. Uh, I'll call you guys later!" She turned off the Creaturepod. "Tami? Where are you?"

* * *

"So… she's the eldest of you three?" Jimmy asked.

"She looks really young, actually," Koki commented.

"She's 18. One to two years older than us. But this was what made her sad because grown-ups can't join the Wild Kratts Kids," Isa sighed.

"I know how that feels," Clarissa pointed out, remembering that was just the reason why she gained her own CPS.

"Unfortunately, our parents sometimes don't understand. They think we're too old to be fans… or too young to do things so "dangerous"..." Isa muttered.

"You're never too old to do the right thing, or to help how you can. Whoever invented this is a quitter," Chris taught Isa. She chuckled.

"Just what Yara always says," Isa pointed out. "Anyway, back to Lauren here. Hm… looks like her wing will heal sooner than I thought."

"Well, got programmed raptorial claws, powerful beaks and the tongue feature is nearly done," Aviva informed. "The macaw disks will be done in a few minutes."

The brothers entered with the clues they gathered.

"Did someone said the macaw disks were nearly ready? Because macaw powers would be good to further investigation," Chris said.

"Where's Tami and Yara?"

"Don't worry about them," Isa assured. "Yara knows this place better than any of the three of us. Not to mention since Tami is from the U.S., she won't wander far. Usually."

"Usually?" Jimmy questioned.

"Well… let's just say she can get easily distracted."

"Story of my life," Martin commented. The team wondered how the girls were doing by themselves.

* * *

Yara looked around, a little scared of what could have happened.

"Tami? Tami? Where are you?" Then, she heard the tool noises Tami heard before, and rushed to a certain spot in the middle of the woods.

"Augh! Let me go!" Yara gasped at seeing Tami being held by the arm by Klaus Donata, and being shoved into a cage. "Let me out, you snake! Uh, no offense to snakes."

"Let her go," Yara ordered at the young Donata.

"Says who?"

"Says me," Yara said, sternly. "Klaus Dumb-ata, huh? Pretty cowardly of you hurting a girl."

"And pretty silly of you caring for dumb kid things."

"Dumb… kid things?" Yara felt her eye twitch.

"Oh, no," Tami squeaked in worry.

"Dumb kid things?! Do you have any notion of how important the planet is to everyone, and how much bad you're doing to it?!" Yara started to get angry.

"Don't know, don't care," Klaus ignorantly said. "Now, move along, overgrown pipsqueak. I have a delivery for my mother."

"Oh, no," Tami repeated.

Yara growled, and rushed against Klaus, giving him a tough pushy to the floor, allowing Tami to escape.

"Nice shot, big girl," Tami commented.

"Go, go, go, go, GO!" Yara told Tami, as they ran back to the treehouse. Klaus stood up.

"So, one tough kid, huh? Not so fast," he muttered, pressing a button on his device.

* * *

Yara and Tami found their way back to the treehouse.

"Phew. We made it. Let's go in and warn the team."

"Right, boss," Tami said, until she saw something coming from the horizon. "Wait… what's that?" She picked up a telescope to take a better look.

"What? What are you seeing?"

Tami started to step back in fear, and pushed Yara inside the treehouse. As they stepped in, Tami slammed the door behind them.

"Now there you girls are. We were worried." Isa pointed out. "Wow, Tami, what's wrong? You're white as a sheet."

Their answer was got once claws and beaks started to attack the front door and the treehouse walls. The two girls shrieked.

"Birds?" Isa looked out the window. "The macaws!" Then, she was pulled to the slide by her friends.

"Mind-controlled macaws!" Tami warned the team down the slide. "Birds attacking our treehouse!"

"And I thought Mr. Hitchcock was just kidding when he made that flick," Yara said.

"Mind-controlled macaws?" Chris asked. "Looks like Klaus isn't wasting time in creating an army before attempting his mother's needs."

"Luckily, we can now fight equally. The macaw disks are ready to go. Ven, would you like to go first?" Aviva asked, showing them one disk done.

"Oh, boy, would I?" he questioned, as if it was obvious. He gently stroked Lauren's wing. "Activate macaw powers!" There was a white glow, and Ventus looked like a white macaw with blue and black patterned wings.

"Wow…" Isa mumbled in awe. Her two friends smirked at her. "Wh-what?"

"Someone likes a certain brother in white," Yara teased. Isa glared at her with blush across her face.

Then, there was the sound of scraping closer.

"*gasp* Did they..." Tami feared. Isa looked up the slide and heard flaps of wings.

"Yup," she answered.

"Prepare to evacuate the base!" Yara announced. "All to the secret passage!"

Tami pulled a rope, opening a staircase that led to somewhere else.

"And you said this was a bad idea..." the two commented at Isa. She crossed her arms in annoyance, as the team climbed up.

* * *

Outside the underground lair, Tami pushed a rock that covered the exit.

"Wow, you're pretty strong for being the youngest," Chris commented. "Just like me." He showed her his arm strength. She blushed.

"W-well, I played lacrosse when I lived in America," the teen explained.

"That's a cool sport."

"Oh, my gosh." Yara stared in horror. The walls were destroyed, the door was crumbled and the posters in front of it were ruined. "Look what they did to our treehouse. It'll take months to fix everything." Tami put a hand in her shoulder.

"Don't be so pessimist. I would say two or three weeks."

"Okay! Time to rescue some feathered fellows! To the macaw rescue!"

"Ventus, flock at 3'o clock!"

Ventus flew with his macaw powers. With his claws, he managed to break some of the helmets, freeing the birds.

"Uh, guys. There are more than I could expect. I don't think I can handle this all by myself!"

"Hang on, _cariño_. It won't take long now." Aviva worked as quick as she could in the M.I.K.

"Oh, no. Lauren and Little Martin!" Chris gasped, remembering about the mother and her baby.

"One step ahead, guys!" Mina showed the team the best with the family in it.

"Sister, you're the best," Koki commented, as Mina squeed with a smile.

"GUYS! I'm losing here!" Ventus's voice was heard, as he was practically being pummeled by the flock.

"Here they come!" Aviva pointed to the sky. Millions of mind-controlled birds were coming to get the team.

"We may need a bigger refuge."

" **Or one big angry turtle!"** M.A.T.I. called via Creaturepod. **"Activating Angry Turtle Mode!"**

*BG music: Cheap Trick - Mighty Wings*

The Tortuga flew up and roared with red eyes. The wind that blew dispersed the flock in many directions.

"Now the groups are smaller! We can help too!"

"Four new macaw disks are ready!" Aviva threw the disks to the younger brothers, David and Koki.

"Alright! Hang on, big bro, we're on our way!" Martin shouted. Once the four activated, they took to the skies. By that moment, Ventus was knocked down with an injured wing.

"Mayday! Mayday! I'm falling!" he shrieked, in pure terror. Quickly, Martin and Chris caught him with their claws.

"Got you, bro!"

"Alright! No more Mr. Nice-Birdy!" Ventus deactivated and brought out his wind wings. The team continued the assault, freeing the colorful birds.

"Wow! This is SO going to our blog!" Yara took a picture of the team rescuing the macaws.

"Look at them! This is the highlight of our dreams, girls!" Isa squealed.

After the last macaw was freed, the team landed back in the ground.

"You guys were awesome!" Tami cheered.

"Part of the job," Chris joked.

"I have never seen wings like these before," Isa commented Ven's magic.

"Takes lots of training."

"Oh, you Wild Kratts!" Klaus grunted, showing up with Donita and Dabio. "Why do you have to ruin everything?!"

"To save the creatures of the world!" Yara exclaimed. "And so do we!"

"Ha! You think these brats here can really help you?" Donita chuckled.

"Don't underestimate the Wild Kratts Teens, Lady Crazy-Clothes!" Tami accused.

"Aren't you all a little old to be nature saps anyway?" she questioned. "Not to mention the really shrimpy one."

"What did you say?" she growled.

"Oh boy, they're in for it now," Yara commented. Isa nodded in agreement.

"What? I mean, it's not nice to ask such a thing, but-" Chris started, but then, Tami tackled Donita.

The team watched with wide eyes as the young teen messed up the fashionista's hair. Afterwards, she huffed with her arms crossed with herself seated on her.

"Mom?" Klaus called.

"One little rule, Klaus: NEVER tease Tami about her height," Yara chuckled.

"Dabio, what are you waiting for?! Get our mother and let get out of here!" Klaus ordered. "My brilliant plan… foiled! It all could have gone well, if it weren't for those meddling kids!" he complained, as they rushed to the plane.

"What does he think we are?" Isa asked.

"Just a casanova. Ignore him," Ventus assured, as Yara tapped Tami's shoulders. They all looked up to see the macaw families flying back to the skies.

"Welcome home, feathered friends," Martin commented.

* * *

Later, as the team prepared to leave, Lauren's wing was a lot better and she was ready to fly.

"Thanks again for the help, Wild Kratts. We really wish you could stay a little more," Yara admitted.

"Yeah, your team is very unique," Chris commented. "And just one thing: remind us not to get on your bad side." The girls chuckled in response.

"We'll help you as we can with these Predators you told about," Isa proclaimed. "Yara has been developing some kind of "special fortress"..."

"Spoilers, girl! *grunt* I was just gonna say that!"

Mina picked up a small tag and placed it on Lauren's leg.

"There. This way we can monitor the hyacinth macaws and her friends, preventing them from extinction for as long as we can."

There was a thud. Make that two thuds.

"And K.O," Koki joked, seeing the brothers (at least the younger two) in their "Extinct Species Trance". The three teens stared down at the two, surprised.

"Oops," Mina said. The team chuckled, as the macaws flew happily around the forest.


	6. Episode 7: Reef of Stingers

The Caribbean sea looked beautiful at the break of dawn. Mina took a deep breath as she sat on the Tortuga's shell.

"Ah, the sea… such peace and quiet..."

" **Wow… you never woke up so early before. Except for that day on the prairie,"** MATI said via Creaturepod.

"Well, we ARE seeing some friends today," the nymph giggled. "I couldn't be more excited."

 **"Who are these friends, I may ask?"**

"Who else?" Chris popped up from behind Mina, startling her. "The dolphin duo, Whistle and Click, and our siren friend Serena!"

 **"A-a-a siren?"** the AI stuttered. **"Like those from the** _ **Odyssey**_ **?"**

"Let's just say the _Odyssey_ lied to many people about sirens," Chris explained in an annoyed tone.

"You always get excited to see Serena," Mina chuckled. "Doesn't Tania ever get jealous?" Chris narrowed his eyes.

"Very funny, little sister."

"I was joking with you, silly."

"Hey, are you guys coming?" Martin called, as he prepared to dive.

"Oh right, we're also seeing the reef today. Serena will like that."

"Speaking of Serena, I never really met her yet," Ven commented, wearing his white diving gear.

"Long story." Chris rushed to follow Martin. "For a short explanation, read the Song of the Siren chapter in the Wild Kratts Diary. Ciao!" He jumped to his manta rider and Mina followed him, floating.

"Wait for us!" Clarissa called, her and Ven following after them.

* * *

"Wow, the Caribbean Sea adventures are very interesting. You mean there are creatures inside coral?" Ven read the diary, while seated on a manta rider.

"Beautiful, but in danger," Koki said through the Creaturepod.

Martin heard a familiar sound. "Hey… are those..." He saw something coming in their direction.

"Whistle and Click!" Martin greeted. "And... a little dolphin!"

"Awww…" Clarissa and Mina said.

"It must be Whistle and Click's son or daughter," Aviva pointed out.

"Hey, congratulations, you two!" Chris said.

"What's your name, little buddy?" Martin asked.

The baby dolphin made a sound similar to… Martin's dolphin name?

"Your name's… Martin?"

"Oh, boy, we have a lion cub named Martin, a blue hyacinth macaw chick called Martin, and now a baby dolphin that's a Martin," Koki counted. "Too many Martins to count."

"Still an honor if you ask me," Martin greeted, as he caressed the baby dolphin. Then, the dolphins made the "Let's play" sound.

"Okay! Me first!" Mina cheerfully climbed on Click's back. With that, the parent took off. "Wheeeee!"

Whistle went underneath Clarissa. "Whoa! Hello," she said a split before Whistle sprinted forward. "WHOOOAA!"

Dolphin Martin started gnawing on Martin's arm, making the "Let's play" sound.

"Okay, okay. I'm going, Martin," the Kratt in blue chuckled. "*giggle* So funny calling for my own name."

 _'What's so funny?'_ the baby thought. Martin could hear that.

"I'll explain later." Dolphin Martin gave him a squeak of surprise, but pushed it to the side as he started nudging him in the back.

Martin began swimming forward. He looked to his side, seeing the baby right next to him.

"Martin, turn around! Look out!" Ven called.

Too late. Martin crashed into a submerged rock. The eldest and youngest brothers went "oooooo".

"That's gotta hurt," Chris commented.

"Martin? Are you okay?" Ventus asked.

"Ugh... I think so... who put that rock here?" Martin complained as he rubbed his head.

"At least you didn't get amnesia from it. That'd be really bad," Ventus observed.

"Ow! That's gonna surely leave a mark," they heard a feminine voice. The three turned around, seeing a very familiar face. Well, to Martin and Chris anyway.

"Serena!" Chris called, as he rushed to embrace her.

"Hey Chris! Great to see you!" Then, she noticed the black stripe. "Hey... what's with your hair?"

"Long story, but anyway… any news?"

"Come on. We sure have a lot to catch up."

"You have a lot of ketchup? I'm there!" Jimmy called, as he and the girls called on the Creaturepod. The young siren laughed.

"Not "ketchup", silly. Plus, is this a thing? Oh, hey, girls."

"Hey, Serena. Hey, how about we do that hair thing today, huh?" Koki asked.

"Huh?" Chris questioned.

"It's a girl thing, and Mina and Clarissa are also included," Aviva said.

"Whoo-hoo!" Mina's voice was heard. Click stopped nearby the bros. "Wow! Best ride ever!"

"Ugh… my poor stomach..." Clarissa, dizzy, moaned, as she rubbed her belly. The bros chuckled a little. "I rather return to the HQ and help the girls setting things for our girls' reunion."

"Fine. But first, I'll stay here with the guys to see the reef."

"You'll get used to dolphin riding, don't worry," Martin assured his princess-for-a-sister. Clarissa left to the Tortuga, and the bros signaled Mina to follow them. What Martin didn't notice is that the Kratt in blue left behind his Creaturepod.

* * *

They dove deep into another spot on the reef.

"This is the best part of the reef," Serena said. "I really love passing by this particular place. There's just so much life here."

"The most amazing reef is in Australia, but the Caribbean Reef is awesome too," Martin informed.

"Is there a difference?" Ven questioned.

"You mean like types of reefs?" Chris asked. "Well, it's kinda complicated..."

"Oooh!" Mina pointed out to something swaying on a rock. "That looks really pretty."

"Careful. It may look pretty, but you shouldn't touch it," Chris said to his siblings and close friend.

"Why not?" Ven asked.

"It's an anemone. Those tentacles there can shock their prey and eat them by grabbing them and placing it right down there in the center."

"Well, this little guy here doesn't seem worried about that," Mina pointed out. There was a little white and orange fish swimming right through the predator.

"That's because it's a clownfish. Clownfish have evolved an ingenious though slimy way to use stinging anemones for their own protection. It works out for both of them. Interesting, don't you think?"

"Nemo here sure agrees."

"Nemo? Really?" Martin asked.

"Have a better name? Accepting suggestions." The brothers and the siren chuckled at her comment.

"Hey bros, what's that colorful fish over there?" Ven asked, pointing to a big, frilly, orange striped fish. Chris and Martin gasped in fright.

"LIONFISH!" they panicked.

"What? Fish that are lions? Now I've seen everything."

"No!" Martin yelled. "Lionfish! Scientific name, pterois! They're venomous, invasive reef fish! Their venom is rarely fatal to healthy humans, but some species have enough venom to produce extreme discomfort for a period of several days."

"Uh-oh! I don't think we have an antivenom for this fish with us," Chris pointed out, checking their portable first aid kit.

"Neither here!" Aviva warned. "I don't have a sample of it, so I don't know how an antivenom for it can be made."

"They're usually from the Indo-Pacific on the other side of North and South America, but they somehow made it here in the Caribbean Sea and other places in the Atlantic Ocean!" Chris added.

"So they're not supposed to be here?" Ven asked.

"Yeah! It's a huge alien invasion problem!" Martin gulped. "Even worse than those Asian longhorn beetles!"

"And there were animals that could eat the beetles. But for lionfish, there's no known predator of them! So they just keep multiplying!"

"Lion fish lay so many eggs at once. And they just keep coming!"

"And just why exactly are you yelling about this?!" Ventus asked, loudly. Martin flinched at the sound of his loud voice.

"Ouch..."

"Sorry. With everyone yelling, I got carried away. But seriously, is it that big of a problem?"

"Um, yeah! We really should get out of here," Serena pointed out. "And just to point out, sea creatures are still poisonous to sirens since we usually dwell on land. And their poison is more effective. One touch and I'm dead!"

"Dead?!" the boys exclaimed in horror.

"Chris! Behind you!" Martin warned. Before Chris could react, Ven quickly shoved him away and ended up the one stung on the arm by the approaching predator, which quickly swam away.

"Bro! Are you okay?" Chris asked.

"I-I'm okay. Just feel a bit numb where I got stung."

"We should take you back to the Tortuga NOW! You need immediate treatment!" Martin pointed out.

"Uh, Martin..." Chris said worriedly. There were lion fish everywhere.

"Uh-oh," Martin gulped. "I know!" He activated his marine telepathy, trying to hear what they're thinking. But, something was wrong. He couldn't hear any of the lionfish's thoughts.

"Something's blocking my telepathy! I can't hear a word they're thinking!"

"Martin! Your earring! It's gone!" Ventus gasped.

"What?!" The blond touched his ear. The pearl earring was indeed missing.

"Uh-oh. Maybe it's Chaos' spell that's preventing your powers from working because you no longer have the earring."

"Oh no! This really bad! I'm freaking out! And it's not false alarm! I'm freaking even worse than Jimmy!" Martin started to panic. "Game over, man!"

"Calm down. Take deep breaths, bro. We're calling for help. Aviva! We have two problems," Ventus called on Chris's Creaturepod.

"Lemme guess: first, Martin's earring is gone, second, you're surrounded by venomous lion fish."

"Yeah… but how...?"

"A dolphin told me." She showed them Martin's Creaturepod. "But the good news is that we found the earring nearby that rock Martin bumped his head on. And we'll try sending a fishcam with it to you. In this circumstance, guess only Martin's telepathy can save you." Aviva pressed a button, sending a fishcam with the earring. "You'll be soon with your earring, MK. Promise."

"Well then, hurry! Ven had been stung!"

"What?! Why didn't you say that earlier?!" Aviva scolded. "Bring him here, _ahora_!"

"Uh... you forgot we're surrounded, right?" Chris pointed out. "Unless… Guys, dive down! It's your only chance to escape!" he told Ventus and Serena.

"What?"

"I'll stay here with Martin to get the earring. Take Ventus to the Tortuga, hurry!"

"Okay." Serena nodded. "Hang on, big guy." She held Ventus closely, and started diving as fast as she could.

She looked around, a little confused.

"Uh… but how will I find the Tortuga HQ?" Then, she saw Dolphin Martin arriving. "You know where it is? Well, then lead the way, quick! We have a lionfish victim!"

* * *

"Any sign of the fishcam yet?" Martin asked.

"There! Here it comes!" Chris pointed out. The fishcam rushed to reach them, "Quick, Martin. Grab it!"

"Uh… there's a little pointy problem there," Martin said. There were still some of those venomous fish in the way. "Pointy as a cactus in the desert."

"Seeing it this way, being wounded by a cactus isn't that bad. At least they're not venomous," Chris pointed out.

"Or right next to a spotted skunk."

"Whew, don't remind about the Skunked adventure."

"Ouch!" Martin felt something bumping on his head. "The fishcam!" he cheered, picking up his earring.

"Martin, incoming!" A lion fish came swimming fast. They dove down quickly to escape. Dolphin Martin, Whistle and Click arrived just in time, to give them a ride.

"Quick! Let's get out of here!" Martin said, grabbing ahold of Click's dorsal fin. The three dolphins immediately escaped the crowd of lionfish. Suddenly, they hear something cracking. "What is that?" Chris looked up and gasped.

"That's not possible!"

"What?"

"Look up!" Martin looked towards the surface. It was starting to freeze over with ice!

"What?! That's impossible! What's ice doing in a warm place like the Caribbean?!" Then, Chris looked down, and saw Martin's hand glowing blue.

"Dude! What are you doing?"

Martin gasped, as he saw he couldn't stop the freeze. "I can't control it!"

"Guess this must be Chaos' fault. Without the earring, your powers get out of control," Chris theorized.

"This is bad! Very bad! I'm freaking out again!" Chris noticed the ice thickening as Martin got desperate.

"Martin, stop it! Freaking out is making it worse!"

Whistle and Click dove up, and the bros followed them.

"The Tortuga! We made it," Martin sighed in relief, and so did Chris as the ice his brother made appear disappeared as he placed his earring back on. "That was too close."

* * *

"There you go. It will take a while, but you'll be fine." Aviva gave Ventus some medicine, and started to take care of his wound. Koki was making a braid in Serena's hair.

"Well, treatment for a lionfish sting is really long, but depending of how healthy the person is, your recovery will come soon," Chris pointed out.

"That's good, but we still have a problem," Martin pointed out in worry, looking down at the water. "The lionfish invasion."

"But the good news is that at least we found your earring," Mina pointed out to her brother's ear. "Now your telepathy might be useful."

"MARTIN! They're here!" Chris's scream startled Martin, making his hand slip on the wet flipper and dip his arm into the water. A lion fish swam by and brushed him. Chris quickly pulled Martin out, making them both fall backwards onto the flipper.

"Close one. I do like you guys, but… maybe not that into petting lion fish." Chris quickly checked his brother's arm, relieved to see no stings or swells.

 _'Relax, you two. We can't poison Guardians,'_ Martin heard one of them chuckle. His powers were working again. One of the lionfish had their head above the surface and looking right at them. This one had pinkish stripes with some burgundy spots. Chris activated the Animal Comprehension.

"Poseidon would be really mad at us for that. Besides, Guardian powers act like a protective barrier to you all. So even if you were stung, it wouldn't affect any of you. Well, maybe a few minutes or so depending on the element," the lionfish pointed out.

"Really?" Martin asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Sorry for us stinging your brother, by the way. We thought he was an intruder."

"Well, if you say so... Bruiser," Martin named the lionfish.

"That explains why I feel better already," Ventus pointed out, coming over to them. "I didn't know we could become immune. Not even an ex-Guardian."

"We really want to go home. We got swept up into a current, and got carried to this place," Bruiser lamented.

"That can explain the lionfish invasion in the Atlantic," David thought.

"Why's that?" Elsa asked.

"Ocean currents carry things like plankton, baby fish, and, sadly, pieces of litter all over the world for thousands of miles."

"Don't worry. We'll get you guys to your home," Mina said.

"As Water Guardian, I'll do it!" Martin stated.

"Hold it!" Aviva stopped him. "You're not going back out there without this." She held up a power disk with a lionfish symbol. "Ven's wound had a small stinger in it, and I made good use of it. Plus, I made sure to replace the venom with a sleeping serum that will knock them out for a couple of minutes."

"Got the plan, Viva. Let's do this!" The Water Guardian placed in the disk. Martin brushed a finger against Bruiser's fin, no longer needing to worry about being stung. "Activate lionfish powers!" As he glowed blue, he leapt into the water.

"Lead the way, Bruiser!" Martin said. He followed his lion fish companion into the crowd of the invasive reef fish. "Okay everyone! You're all gonna feel a little drowsy!"

"I trust you, Water Guardian," Bruiser said. "As you humans say... bring it on."

Martin immediately started the operation, using his sleeping serum on every lionfish he stung.

"Sorry, it hurts me more than you," he said, as he worked.

* * *

"Phew!" Martin fainted in his hammock, after deactivating. "So many lionfish..." Chris chuckled at his bit of misery.

"There, there, big bro." Mina caressed his hair. Her own hair was full of braids.

"At least you did it. All we need now is to set the coordinates to the lionfish' home," Aviva said, her ponytail turned into a braid.

"All hail the Guardians!" Bruiser chanted in the tank. "We're going home!" More lion fish started to join in.

"Aw, shucks. It was nothing, really," Martin replied sleepily.

"Get some rest, bro," Ven told him. "You've been through a lot today." In a millisecond, there was the sound of snoring. The team chuckled.

The Tortuga started to take off, ready to take the lionfish back where they rightfully belonged.


	7. Episode 8: Tania's Thorny Rose

Chris was meditating on the top of the Tortuga. This looked like a perfect day for this. Inside his mind, the peaceful sight of a forest with a crystalline lake stood. Chris stood at the edge of the lake. All in peace.

Suddenly, a dark cloud appeared in the sky, and a cold wind blew. Visions of his friends and family blurred, all about worrying and crying.

"It's all his fault!" Ventus's voice echoed. "That _monstruo_!"

"He failed us," he heard Aviva's voice.

"Some leader he was to us," Mina's voice rang.

Chris felt the earth crumble behind his feet. He tried jumping to the lake, but vines and vines came from it.

"They don't like you… they don't like us..." he heard his own voice, however… deeper. As the vines wrapped around him, he shrieked in fear. "They hate us…"

"Th-that can't be true!" Chris screamed against the voice, as the vines dragged him to somewhere.

"I see it… You see it… _We_ see it… They don't want us anymore! We have FAILED!" The vines dragged him into the crystal lake, which was pitch black under the layer. Chris could only scream in terror as he fell into the abyss.

* * *

Tania wiped the sweat off her forehead as she worked in her yard on something.

"Ah... I'll never do this right."

"Sure you will, mom," Aidan assured. "You won the Most Colorful Garden Prize for consecutive years. Why would this stop now?"

"I know, son… but the earth has been… too weak and infertile," Tania lamented. "I don't know what else I can do."

"Look… maybe you just need to take your mind off of it for a while. Take a walk, or something like that," Aidan suggested.

"Thanks, darling… But first, honestly... you really think I make enough difference?"

"You do, mom… you sure do."

* * *

Tania walked calmly to the Tortuga. She started to hear shouting coming from the ship.

"Chris?" She wondered what was exactly going on. The team was reunited around the Kratt in green, who was laid on the center table.

"W-what happened?" Tania asked in worry. "What happened to my rose button?"

"Rose button?" Clarissa questioned.

"I-it's a cute nickname I gave him. He has Earth powers and I like flowers, so..."

"Never heard that one before," Aviva commented.

"Back on topic. What happened to him?"

"Well, he was meditating as usual, but then… he screamed," Martin explained. "When we asked what was wrong..."

* * *

" _No! You don't need me! I'm not sticking with you guys anymore!"_

" _What?! Chris, what are you-" Aviva started, but he cut her off._

" _NO! Don't talk to me!" Then, he felt himself get dizzy, as he tried to get away. A few seconds later, he collapsed._

* * *

"Wow… that's really intense."

"He simply didn't seem to listen," Aviva pointed out. "We didn't get at all what was going on."

"Nightmares can feel real," Mina said. "Like the Nightmare on the Tortuga incident."

"Don't even remind me of that day," Jimmy shivered. "After that, I couldn't look at my controllers for a week."

" **Uh, everyone, did no one notice Chris is at the window?"** M.A.T.I. pointed out.

Chris stared at them with his eyes opened. They were toxic green. Tears were forming. Giant, thorny vines shot up from the ground outside. The ground began to shake violently. Martin caught sight of his jade earring turning black.

The Tortuga lights flickered from the shaking and it went dark for a few seconds. When they came back on, Chris looked different. His hair was flat and black, except for one pine green stripe. His clothes were a dark version of his Guardian robe.

"No…" Ventus mumbled in horror.

"Chris…?" Martin called fearfully. The corrupted brunette stared at them with toxic green eyes with dark grey sclera.

"No, Martin. It's Thorn..."

Thorn sharply turned around, and he jumped out the window. Thorny vines sprouted where his feet were as he walked away.

"That was Thorn?" David gulped.

"Oh, man, oh man, oh, man, oh, man, oh, man..." Ventus walked around the HQ. "... oh, man, oh, man! I'M FREAKING OUT!"

"Geez, VK, calm down."

"No, guys! Don't you see the trouble we're dealing with? Thorn is a menace! If Terra was the most powerful, being the Gaia Guardian despite it being for a short time, imagine what Thorn is capable of!" Ventus shrieked in Mina's ear.

"Ouch..."

"And do YOU know him?" Laura wanted to know. "From what I've heard, once they came over for the first time, you simply locked them away."

"I just did what Mom told me. She always told the best for all of us."

"Then HOW can you be sure that he's SOOOO evil?" Ventus was going to answer, but Tania interrupted him. "And don't come telling that it's because of Eris! I heard about her struggles of redemption, so I guess her Darkness isn't that mean after all, right?"

Ventus wished he could say something, he wished, but… that was so hard to logic with. He simply growled silently.

"So… what can we exactly do?" David wanted to knowknow.

"Look, he looked kinda scared when he ran away like that," Tania admitted. "Why don't we just go… I don't know, talk to him?"

"Suicidal idea! Not doing it!" Ventus pouted.

"Uh… I think I may or not have some work to do..." Aviva hesitantly said.

"Not me. Busy day," Koki assured.

"Anyone?" The team was silent. Tania groaned. "Fine, I'll go by myself."

"Wait," Martin asked. "I'll go with you… just in case."

"WHAT?!" Ventus gasped.

"Ven, it could be possible that we can get Chris out of there. I have to at least try."

"I'm telling you, it's suicide! That thing is dangerous!"

"Like what? The Black Storm thing?"

The group stood in silence. Ven didn't know how to argue back to that.

"... I'll not leave you alone, no matter how absurd a team's hypothesis is, buddy," Laura assured. Tania smiled.

"Thanks, guys," Tania commented. "I'm glad to see SOMEONE supports me here." The three of them left, leaving the team feeling bad and Ventus worried.

"*sigh* I just hope she knows what she's doing..."

* * *

The trio saw Thorn's footprints. They WERE his, for all contained deep, dark impressions. Not to mention that the black vines that were growing everywhere were a giveaway. The three followed them until they entered a certain spot in the park, where the trees seemed higher than normal. Then, the small group saw Thorn running away.

"There he is."

"Hey… wait!" Tania called for Thorn. "Where are you going?" He gasped at the sound of her voice and turned around.

"No… no..." He stepped more and more away, until he decided to create a thorny barricade of vines.

"Hey!" Laura and Martin gasped, seeing the thorny barricade.

"Don't come closer… please." The party saw Thorn on the other side of the thorny barricade. "One little slip and..." He made a signal of cut throat with his finger to them. Martin and Laura gulped.

"But… in that case, can you move them for us… please?" Martin asked, as calmly as he could.

"... Why?"

"So we can pass," Laura answered. Thorn sternly stared at her, making her understand that was NOT the reason he wanted.

"Uh, what she means… is that we just want to talk to you," Tania explained.

"Why would you want to talk to me? After I will fail everyone?" Thorn wondered.

"Fail?" Martin wondered. What was he talking about?

"... Look... we just want to help you," Tania answered.

"No one can help me. NO ONE," Thorn muttered, a small tear nearly escaping his eyes.

"Are you sure?"

Thorn stared into Tania's eyes, wanting to answer her, but… that stare… so pure and kind… like she couldn't hurt no one...

"No," he sighed. After a few moments of silence, the vines pulled away to make a path. Martin and Laura stared in awe, as Tania stepped forward. She wanted to take his hand, but Thorn stepped back. "Please… not yet."

Tania decided to agree, wondering even more about this side of her boyfriend's persona. Questions bobbled inside her mind: What caused this to happen? Which is the REAL Thorn?

"So I have a question, um, Thorn," Martin said. "What did you mean when you said you would fail everyone? You didn't do anything... at least not yet."

Thorn took a while to take a deep breath, and answer.

"... I saw it in a vision. I-I saw comments of …failure... deception… all related to… HIM."

"Chris?" Martin asked.

"The team... they blamed him. They were mad, scared. They... wanted nothing to do with him anymore." Thorn's eyes filled with tears, grasping his head. "I… I couldn't bare it anymore!" The trio saw the vines forming around him.

"Hey, hey!" Tania came close to him. "Calm down, please." She stared at the panting face that stared at her. "We're here... I'm here..."

* * *

Ventus paced around the HQ. The team just stared.

"They only left for an hour, dude. Calm down," Jimmy said.

"Every second that they are absent counts. I don't want to imagine what torture Thorn will-"

"Torture?! How do you know he'll torture them?" David asked.

"Becaus-"

"NO putting Eris in this! Or Chaos! Or any past event! You just DON'T KNOW!"

"B-but-" Elsa decided to put herself forward, before they could explode in a battle.

"W-what David means is that we know you're worried… we are too, but those three know Chris very well. They'll find a way to bring him out," Elsa comforted him.

"Or they won't… Wait, bring him out?!" An idea came to his mind. "Hang on, I might just have what we need to trap him again!" He created a portal and entered it.

"Something tells me he wasn't listening..." Mina stated.

"Reminds me of someone..." Koki replied.

"Hey!" Aviva commented, insulted.

* * *

The trio and Thorn were seated on the ground. As he breathed in and out, the thorny vines came lower and lower.

"There… all calmed down," Tania noticed. Martin and Laura noticed as well. Now under control, of his nerves anyway, Thorn was finally calm enough to explain what was going on.

"So… you were saying a vision was responsible for this… breakdown?"

"Yes… visions of comments… bad comments… all related to failure and disappointment. I-I don't want to fail everyone... I have to be a..."

"A good leader?" Martin finished. Laura stared at him. "Chris was never the best at accepting mistakes. At least his own. I remember very well how disappointed he gets when things don't go perfectly right."

"I am also a confirmer of this. I remember when he, me and Serena had our fun day ruined by Zach, Dumb-ata and Gourd-mand. He was NOT happy at all," Tania pointed out.

"Well, it is pretty understandable for a leader wanting to do things in the best way possible, but even leaders make mistakes sometimes," Laura informed. "No one's perfect."

"I'm saying this care, but I think that vision you had was just a bad dream," Tania said. Thorn sighed.

"I… I admit. I don't know what's a vision or a dream anymore. It's all mixed up in my head. Like a tornado of frustration that simply won't go away."

"So you assume everything you see will happen? That's not very smart," Martin commented.

"Well… he has been utterly worried about his own visions lately," Thorn remembered. "They just… come all of a sudden, so fast not even his mind can control it."

"That can explain why he seemed so… agitated these last days… He didn't even talk to us about it... Maybe it has something to do with Chaos' curse. On our Lionfish adventure, I lost control of my powers and my telepathy when I lost this earring."

"I must admit… the earring is a fantastic attribute." Thorn weakly smiled.

"Thanks… I guess."

"Well, I guess we made great progress," Tania said, wanting to take Thorn's hand. But he took it away again.

"N-Not yet… please." Tania smiled in acceptance.

"Say... He's not so bad, is he?"

"Yeah, Guess Ven was just… overreacting or something."

"Hm... I guess..."

"What's wrong? Wait… HE's the problem, isn't he?"

"…"

"I should have known," Martin commented. "He is hard to deal with."

"Well, guess we could try showing him our point of view… it's not like he'll go all about trapping him again… right?" Laura asked.

* * *

"Trapping him again?!" Aviva wanted to know, seeing Ventus show her a special mirror.

"Trust me, Aviva, it's the only way we can prevent something worse than Black Storm from happening."

"I'm still saying, VK, I don't think something like this is possible," David tried to make Ven reason. "That time it was YOU, and Chris and you aren't alike, and..."

"And he was in the past the most powerful of the Guardians. We can't risk it!"

"... Running out of arguments, you guys. But still believing this is not a good idea," David asked for help.

"Ven, just… wait for a little more time, okay?" Koki asked.

"... Okay..." Ven sighed, pouting.

* * *

Laura, Martin, Thorn and Tania walked together to Tania's garden, where she sighed, remembering her frustration. However, as Thorn knelt, she saw he was trying to do something. But what? Martin went a bit tense at this.

"... Vermin lack," he said. "This land needs to be fertilized."

"How did you know that?" Martin asked.

"I have _his_ abilities, remember?"

"You mean _your_ abilities," Tania said. "You and him… after all we saw… has to be the same person."

"You… think so?"

"WE know so," Laura said. "Whoever said or made you think that you couldn't do anything good is wrong. 'Cause if could let us get close to you without hurting us... what danger can you cause?"

"Never someone… said those things to me..." Thorn looked away.

"I know how painful it can be imagining what people think of you. Sometimes as a kid, I spent most weekends all by myself, brushing my dolls' hair," Tania admitted.

"I envy those dolls." Thorn looked away, muttering. Tania sighed, staring at the barren soil of her yard.

"It is a pretty huge yard," Thorn commented, changing the subject.

"Yeah… I planted for so long there, but nothing ever flourished here anymore since my husband's death."

"... Never thought of asking HIM for help?"

"He's always… busy… I think."

"For a girl like you? For his friends? MY friends, now? Never..." Thorn felt way better now. "Allow me."

*BG music: Bastille - Pompeii*

Deep within the underground, Thorn's vines called various worms to Tania's backyard.

"Wow, I can hear them," she commented, ear low to the ground. Worms came all over the ground, fertilizing the land. Vines grew around like in harmony. Thorn chuckled.

"Mom, is that Chris?" Aidan asked as he came into the backyard.

"For now, call him Thorn, okay?" Laura assured.

"No one ever helped Mom like this before. You're really cool!" Thorn felt praised.

"You think so?"

"Uh, Thorn..." Laura called. Thorn turned and nearly fainted from the vines that were thrashing around.

"Oh, Zeus! I-I-I-I-" he began to panic. Then, it wrapped around Tania and him, as if taking them for a ride around the yard.

"I didn't know you could do this!"

"Me neither!" The two of them chuckled as they were near each other. Laura and Martin wanted to join them too, and the Water Guardian followed the vines with his water powers.

"Hey, don't forget me!" Aidan called.

* * *

"Does anyone else hear that?" Mina asked, ear to the sky.

"It sounds like screaming," Aviva confirmed.

"Panic?" Ven questioned.

"No… sounds more like… happiness?" Then, they saw he had already left. "VENTUS!"

"I knew I shouldn't have left them alone!"

"Ventus, come back here!" Koki called.

"Oh, no..." David sighed. The team rushed after him, fearing that his impulsive attitude could cause something bad.

* * *

Thorn had never laughed so hard. He and his friends had a thrill on the vine ride and were now laying on the grass.

"That was… amazing!" Aidan exclaimed.

"It was fun," Thorn breathed in and out. "More fun than I ever could expect."

"It was great. Especially with you by our side, Laura said. "See? All that fear for absolutely no reason."

"That's my rose button," Tania commented. Thorn blushed a little and he sat up.

"You let him in your house?!" Ventus screeched, coming in flying with his wind wings. Thorn cowered behind Tania.

"Oh, no..."

"How could you let him do this mess?!"

"Mess? Are you kidding? We were having lots of fun," Martin said, appalled by his attitude.

"Oh, so you're letting him get to you?!" Ventus stepped firmly on the floor. He was obviously furious. "You're overreacting to him!"

"No, we're not! We're fine, see?" Laura argued. "No wounds, no bruises, and no problem." The team arrived seeing the situation.

"Uh… should I point th-"

"Unneeded. We saw everything," Aviva commented.

"That's it! If YOU'RE not listening to me, I'll have to make the best measure MYSELF!" Ventus wanted to trap Thorn, no matter the cost. "Sorry, Chris..."

"What?!" Martin gasped. He couldn't be possibly... no…

"Ventus?" Aviva gasped. She also guessed what Ventus was planning to do, and it was nothing the team would approve of.

"NO! He didn't do anything!" Tania snapped.

"Move away, Tania! I gotta finish this NOW!" Ven shrieked in a military way. Tania could feel Thorn shiver.

"You're not touching him." Laura stepped forward, with Martin by her side. "She led perfectly well with him by herself. The only one that seems to be overreacting here is YOU!"

Ventus shrieked in anger, throwing the mirror in Thorn's direction. He gasped in fear for the worst, but Martin defended him with an ice shield.

"He didn't do anything bad!" Martin snapped. "He had been nothing but nice to us. He even helped Tania with her garden."

Ventus wanted to shriek more, but he was very exhausted. That anger outburst costed him very much. The team, seeing Martin and Laura were right after all, stepped up to defend Thorn.

"Chris knows that ALL life deserves protection. Even his darkest side. A side that is not made of evil… but of fear. Fear that he will fail his friends and family," Martin pointed out.

"He's a very wise leader… and a very good friend," Jimmy said, stepping forward.

"We all care for him as much as he cares for us," Clarissa added.

"We love him very much, and we don't want to see him suffer. He can always count on us for this," Aviva said.

"I need my rose button by my side… we all need you by our side. We all need you, Chris," Tania proclaimed. Thorn smiled as she embraced him in assurance of the team's positivity. In answer to it, he finally held Tania's hand.

Green sparkles came off the Earth Guardian as he returned to normal, his robe and hair now in its original state, save the black stripe. Chris felt his legs shake and he fell to his knees in exhaustion.

"But-but..." Ventus simply stammered, wordless by seeing he was proven wrong. The team reunited around Chris.

"Guys… you really think so?" the Earth Guardian asked. His hazel eyes were filled with tears.

"We do, Chris. You don't have to be a perfect leader… Just be our leader," Aviva stated. The team celebrated around the happy couple reunited, and Martin called Ventus' attention.

"If you ever try that again…" he threatened, not liking at all his big brother's attitude toward Chris. Ventus gulped in fear, never seeing Martin so angry. "Fates know what will happen."

* * *

The next day, really early in the morning, Chris called for Tania in the garden. "Tawny? Are you home?"

"Good mornin', Chris. Slept well?" Tania opened the window, rubbing her eyes.

"Better than you think…" Then, he climbed upon a vine he made, giving her a black rose. "A little "thank you gift" from someone that loves you even more now."

"Oh, Chris…"

"Thanks… for making me and him see the light again." He pointed out to the floor, a sight calling her. Tania came down the stairs, and was surprised by the sight of a wonderful new garden, with roses of all kinds.

Tania smiled, tears in her eyes. She hugged her boyfriend lovingly. A new black rose flourished nearby, unknowing to them. Chris's shadow seemed to smile softly.


	8. Episode 9: An Un-bear-able Situation

The Tortuga HQ flew over the European skies, over a majestic forest.

"Europe. Can't stop but to feel like home," Elsa commented, observing the skies from the Tortuga's shell.

"You said it, sis," David agreed. "After all, our ancestors grew up here, and so did theirs, and so did theirs, and so it goes."

"And so does the creature we're going to see in action today: _Ursus arctos_ , AKA the grizzly bear," Aviva added.

"Yeah! Bears!" Sam celebrated. "I love bears! They're fuzzy, and tough, and brave..."

"And stinky," Elsa mocked.

"Watch it, little missy!"

"So… I heard about Ventus and Martin..." Bites whispered to Koki. "Are they still… you know..."

"Well… let's just say they're taking a lot more than we thought to make amends," Koki replied. "Ventus wants to, but… Martin won't give in."

"Well, I don't blame MK. Ven did go total crazy overdrive about Thorn," David commented, remembering the pain in his wrist. "My wrist still hurts from that squeeze."

"I still can't believe he would go as far as..." Jimmy didn't dare finish his sentence, but the girls nodded in agreement. They saw Ventus coming nearby and decided to quit talking about that.

"*sigh* I don't know what to do… he simply ignores my existence now," Ventus told them. "I tried everything I could: apologies, helping him, trying to talk… nothing works."

Chris didn't like the situation at all. He did recall the Thorn incident, but… couldn't his big brothers just drop this?

"Martin… look, don't you think you're being… too hard on him?" he tried talking to the Kratt in blue.

"... Maybe…" Martin recognized. "But… I don't know... This time he has… gone too far. He's family and family never… ugh... I couldn't bare the fact that he was trying to..."

"I know, I know… but… he said he was sorry," Chris said. "And he tried a bunch. Don't you think it's time to... at least walk a few steps? Just a few?"

"... It's just not enough, bro. Just not enough," Martin sighed, feeling like crying. Chris saw his earring get a bit dark.

Jimmy landed the Tortuga in a clearing. Once it landed, the team left the ship.

"So, where can we find a grizzly bear around here?" Mina asked. Clarissa went in wolf form.

"I can sniff one out," she suggested.

"How are you sure it'll be a bear scent? There are many creatures around Europe," Elsa asked.

"Can't wolves distinguish different animal scents or something like that?"

"Yeah… but you never saw a bear before, have you?"

"Good point."

"Let's do what we've done in the Black Jaguar adventure: look for the bear's den."

"Where do they usually make those dens?" Mina wanted to know.

"Usually in caves or areas where it won't rain on them."

"There is a cave about ten kilometers. Let's see if there's someone home," Chris pointed out on the Creaturepod.

* * *

Once arriving at the exact location, they hid behind the bushes and looked around.

"I just hope we don't wake him up." Jimmy held his girlfriend's arm tightly.

"Jimmy, it's not even close to winter. If there's a bear here, it's not hibernating," Koki assured.

"But he has a point, though: Grizzlies can be aggressive," Ven pointed out.

"The grizzly bear is one of the largest bears in the world, only second to the polar bear in the arctic," Chris informed.

"Scientists estimated that a bite from a grizzly could crush a bowling ball," Martin pointed out. Jimmy gulped. "They tend to be really agressive for protection, especially of their offspring."

"And there's a theory that a male grizzly will kill a mom's cubs just so he can pass his genes onto her."

"Genes?" Elsa asked. "Creepy." Aviva chuckled.

"No, genes are what give people and creatures the traits they have," she explained. "Although explaining every detail will take a bit of time."

"Hush! I'm seeing something coming out of the cave," Sam pointed out.

 **"Scanning with night mode,"** M.A.T.I. stated. **"There's... three roly-poly things inside."**

"Three?" Sam asked. Out of the cave, a grizzly bear came over with two bear cubs.

"A bear mom and her cubs!" Aviva squealed.

"Awe, they're adorable," Clarissa commented. The two cubs started to play with each other.

" _Ay que lindos_ ," Aviva said.

"Oh, playing for bears and other creatures isn't just for fun," Martin informed.

"Nope, many creatures play with each other as a training for survival and hunting, like lion cubs and wolf pups," Chris added.

"Now those bears sure know how to take each other down," Sam chuckled, as he saw the cubs playing. "They're my favorite creature."

"I thought the raccoon was your favorite 21st century creature," David teased.

"Well, after bears," the mutant commented. "Boy, what I would give to have that fur and ferocity."

"Strange you should meniton that. I just realized we never really made a Bear Power Disk," Aviva noticed. "We had seen black bears in North America, but I never actually programmed anything related to it."

"Gotta make it?"

"Gotta make it," Aviva decided. "I'll get the M.I.K. and be right back!"

"I call first dibs!"

"You don't even have a CPS, Sharkboy," Elsa teased.

"So? It doesn't mean he can't borrow mine, right?" Ven took off his CPS and gave it to Sam. "He's pratically my size, so it'll fit."

"Thanks, VK."

"Uh, are you sure that's a good idea?" Koki asked.

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"His DNA is mutated. Who knows how the Power Suit will react to new genetic alterations?"

"... Why do you always have to be right?" Sam complained.

"Guys! Problem at 3'o clock!" Clarissa saw something. The momma bear was coming alright at them.

"Uh-oh. Grizzlies, especially sows, other name for females, usually avoid humans. But they will attack if they're too close!" Martin started to back up.

Mina stayed in place, though.

"Mina! Get away!"

The grizzly bear growled at her. But instead of answering with fear, she moved her hand close to the muzzle and caressed it.

"Wow..."

"Oh right, even ferocious creatures don't normally attack nymphs," Elsa remembered.

"You could've said that earlier, you know," David deadpanned.

"It's fine, guys. She'll not attack, unless the cubs are in trouble," Mina assured. "Can we see them, please?" she asked. The sow gave a whinny, as if saying it's fine.

One of the cubs accidentally tripped and rolled in front of the team. Then, the other one started to play with Mina.

"Get my camera in my backpack. This is so adorable!" Chris squealed. The cub closer to them came closer to Ven. The cub tripped again at his feet.

" _Pobrecito,_ " he said, kneeling down to the small bear. "He's pretty clumsy."

"Actually, SHE's pretty clumsy. It's a girl cub," Elsa told him.

"I'm back," Aviva called, putting the M.I.K on the ground. "Any info, guys?"

"Well, for a start, grizzlies are excellent diggers. Their claws are about four inches long, and they have a distinctive hump on their shoulders. The hump gives the grizzly the power to dig in the ground and tear apart dead logs to find food."

"Like raccoons, they're omnivores, though they don't digest plants very well, and find their food with their excellent sense of smell. And even though they're extremely large, they can run up to 35 miles per hour."

"Good enough. Digging, speed and strength are always good Creature Powers."

"Look!" Elsa gasped. "There comes another bear!"

"Is it the cubs' father?"

"No, Mina. Grizzlies are usually solitary bears," Chris explaied. "I think that's an intruder. A male that wants to get to the cubs."

"Well, he's not gonna do it. Not with Momma Bear around," Koki pointed out the mother bear was on her way to protect her cubs. "Get him, girl!"

The mother fought the male with her claws and strength.

"Wow, look at her go. It's like watching sumo wrestlers trying to knock each other down," Jimmy geeked out.

"But it looks like he's got the upper hand," Elsa gulped.

"Hey, where are the cubs?" Ven realized. Then, he saw the furballs in front of the bush, fearing for their mom. "No, no! Come back here. It's not safe."

The grizzly enemy growled as he saw the defenseless cubs. But the mother bear would not let him touch them. Their fight ended with her being knocked down. By that time, Elsa and Mina had already called the cubs back.

They waited until the grizzly enemy was gone. The bruiser chose to leave and he disappeared into the thicket.

"Momma Bear?" Mina called. "Oh, my. Her paws are wounded, and her body is in pain."

"We gotta take her to the Tortuga. We can help her there," Aviva said.

"But… what about the cubs? They can't be on their own," Elsa pointed out. "And they can't make contact with people. You said it in the past. Animals could abandon their babies if they smell human."

"But not a familiar scented creature," Martin decided. "Aviva, is the Grizzly disk ready?"

"Yes, but… YOU'RE taking care of them?"

"They should be easier than taking care of two baby nymphs of opposite elements."

"I'll help you," Ventus offered.

"No. You stay with the team," Martin ordered in a very demanding tone. "We can't have you "take things too far"."

Ventus pouted and looked down.

"That was a bit harsh, don't you think?" Chris asked Martin.

"I just… need some time, okay? I'm still not sure I can do it." The brunette sighed.

Koki and Jimmy arrived with a stretcher.

"Okay, let's take this big girl home," she said, carrying the bear.

"We'll be monitoring the area. Good luck, MK," Jimmy said. The eldest and youngest brothers followed the rest of the team. Once they were gone, Martin stared at the cubs.

"Okay, so what would your mom usually do?" he asked them, using his Animal Comprehension power with his medallion.

"She keeps us moving in search of food," the boy cub answered.

"Okay, It must be time for you to eat." The Kratt in blue placed the disk in the CPS, and stroked the cubs' fur. "Activate Grizzly powers!" Once fully transformed, he experimented the smell sense. "Wow, grizzlies do have excellent smelling abilites. Now, let' see if we can gather some food."

"Yeah, food!"

"Yum yum!" his sister cheered. Suddenly, the boy cub landed a paw on a pebble. He yelped and shook the pebble off.

"Looks like you've made a boo-boo, right?" Martin saw the cub's wounded paw. "That's it… I'll call you Boo-Boo." The sister cub giggled. The Kratt in blue caressed and kissed the cub's paw. "It's nothing. It'll heal soon, buddy."

"Thanks..."

"Wait, where's your sister?" Martin looked around to see the female cub was no longer with them. "Oh, boy. Look, you stay here in case she returns and don't come out for anything. I'll go find her."

The cub obeyed immediately, rushing to the cave. Martin looked through the woods.

"Young lady, where are you?" he called. Then, he heard the sound of her yelps nearby. He feared for the worse, as he rushed to see what was going on. But then, his worry was replaced with releief, as he saw the cub merely got stung by a bee.

"Aw, missy, you scared me. What were you trying to do?"

"I was getting peckish," the cub responded. "I tired picking some acorns, but a bee stung me."

"Oh yes, bees can be a problem for any bear, especially when they want honey. But hey, there's something else that's plant you can eat."

"Berries?"

"Even better. Just need to find some," he assured,as he looked around. "Here's some. Goose tongue. Filled with lots of protein, pretty good and healthy." Martin took a graze at the tender plant. "Mmm, a bit salty." The girl cub took a nibble. "Now let's head back to the cave. Your brother must be worried sick."

* * *

In the HQ, Aviva bandaged the mother bear's paw.

"No worries, Momma Bear, you'll be soon reunited with your cubs." Sam patted the grizzly.

"You think Martin's donig okay with the cubs?" Ventus asked.

"He has experience on babysitting baby creatures," Chris commented. "He'll know what to do."

"It's not the cubs. It's that grizzly that attacked her. He will come back to try getting the cubs, you know."

"Martin's tougher than he looks," Jimmy assured. "He won't let anything happen to those cubs."

"I hope so… But I wouldn't like something to happen to him." Ventus stared at the window, sighing. Meanwhile, Jimmy teleported something.

* * *

Back at the cave, Martin kepty watch over the cave and the cubs. He was starting to get hungry. Then, a surprise: Jimmy teleported a basket with some sandwiches in it for him.

"Wow. Thanks, JZ. Thats saves me the trouble of… ugh..." He cringed at the thought of hunting animals. He picked up the basket and entered the cave. As soon as the cubs saw the basket, they dove right in.

"Boy, you two are hungry cubs," Martin chuckled. He watched the cubs eat. The blonde then saw that the sister stopped eating, looking at her brother. "Hey... what's the matter? Food not good?"

"It's not that. He won't play with me anymore… because I went off and worried him," she sulked.

"Okay, listen, you two gotta keep together, especially at a time like this when your mom's being taken care of," Martin told them.

"You didn't seem like that with your sibling. No offense," Boo-Boo commented.

"W-well, the situation was different… It's a family thing, but..."

"Did he try to hurt you?"

"Not exactly..."

"Well… I think such a silly thing shouldn't take away our friendship, right?"

"Yeah... I think you're right, sis," Boo-Boo agreed

Struck with guilt for carrying such a grudge, Martin felt surprised that two one-year-old cubs were able to give him some sense.

"What has your mom fed you?" Martin asked, sniffling. "Your brains' bigger than your bodies!"

"All kinds of stuff. Especially yummy salmon!" Boo-Boo said.

"Yum-yum! I love salmon!"

"You do, huh? You sure say that a lot. So I guess I'll name you this: Yum-Yum." Boo-Boo chuckled at Martin's choice. "So, who's up for some salmon?"

"We are!" the cubs said.

* * *

The two followed the blonde to the river. As Boo-Boo prepared to get their food, Yum-Yum saw the blonde with a sad face.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked Martin in concern.

"... I don't know… I guess I might have made a big mistake..."

"You won't hate him forever, right?"

"I never said I hated him. It's just…" Martin sighed. "I just… can't forgive him…"

"But you can't be mad at him forever. My brother's like that too. He can get grouchy, but he usually makes up for it."

"Salmon, 3'o clock!" Boo-Boo warned, sprinting to the stream. He positioned himself on top of a small waterfall.

"Oooo, the bear's salmon hunting style. They stand on a bit of elevated land of a stream or river and wait there until a fish leaps out. Once they estimate where the fish will jump..." A salmon leaped and Boo-Boo instantly shut his jaw. "Boom! The mouth clamps down." The boy threw the fish to the shore and caught a second fish before heading back to land.

"Not so hungry now. You can keep mine," Yum-Yum decided. Boo-Boo nuzzled his sister. Martin observed the cubs. No grudge could be stronger than their friendship. He smiled.

* * *

"It's getting dark," Chris noticed. "Hopefully. Martin had already gotten dinner to the cubs."

" **Guys, I'm seeing that grizzly that attacked Momma Bear!"** M.A.T.I. warned. The rival grizzly was right on her watch. What she was seeing was put on the main monitor.

"Looks like he's attacking a tree," Elsa said. Then, she saw the grizzly bear's attempts at knocking the tree down, and expelling the critters on it. Eventually, it came falling down.

 **"Did you see what that grizzly did? He'll attack first and ask later!"**

"Think of what he can do to Martin if he finds him!" Ventus feared.

"Ven, wait! We need a plan!" Chris tried to stop him.

"There's no time for a plan! He's in danger this very second! You saw what that bruiser did! I don't care if he refuses my help. He's my brother and I will not lose him AGAIN!" With his CPS ready, he carefully stroked Momma Bear's back. He was fully activated the moment he ran out of the Tortuga.

* * *

With Martin, he was watching the cubs roll around in the grass as they wrestled each other. Then, a menacing scent came into the air. He gasped when he saw the huge grizzly coming their way.

"Danger! Cubs, run!" he shouted, sprinting to them. The bear siblings were quick to run. However, Yum-Yum tripped over the hilly terrain. "Yum-Yum!" Martin carefully pulled her up back onto her feet. At that point, the bear was right behind him.

"Look out, Martin!" Ventus in his own bear suit rammed into the big guy.

"Huh?" Martin looked at who saved him from being mauled. "Ventus!"

"Get out of here! Protect the cubs!" Suddenly, the big bear slashed at him, cutting through his suit. He hissed in pain, but slashed back. "I said go!" the dirty blonde yelled when Martin wouldn't move, glued to the spot in shock.

"Go, go, go!" Martin forced the cubs out of there.

"Alright, you big furball! You wanted a fight, you got it! No one messes with my little brother!" Ventus stood firm, ready to give it all he had. The ferocious predator charged at him.

A fly cam recorded everything, reaching Ventus's location. Martin and the cubs kept watch from a safe distance.

"Oh, _mi querido_..." Aviva feared for her love.

"These brawls can lead to serious injuries, but he'll be okay. I hope," Chris feared as well.

The team cringed when they heard a loud growl of pain. Ventus stepped back, seeing the bite mark on his suit. He growled at the grizzly bear, attacking him once more. Surely he was not willing to give up. But the big guy eventually bit his arm, making him growl louder than before.

"Ventus… stop..." Martin pleaded quietly to his big brother. Was this all his fault?

Ventus panted, feeling the pain of the bites. But he was not gonig to let his little bro, neither the cubs get attacked. However, his vision started blurring.

"I don't think he can take another attack!" Koki gulped. Then, she looked behind. "Hey… Momma Bear's gone!"

Ven couldn't see straight, but a blur of brown tackled him. The grizzly bear was practically tearing him apart.

"Ven!" Martin felt like crying. "No! Please, don't get up!" Ven could hear him, but the words were muffled. He struggled to get back on his feet. Their fight between them was interupted by another charging bear.

"Mom!" Boo-Boo and Yum-Yum cheered. Martin sighed of relief.

The grizzly mom attacked the insane predator. Her paws were much better now, and stronger than ever. With one final strong push and a bite, she expelled once and for all the enemy grizzly.

"Alright, Momma Bear!" Martin cheered. The cubs rushed to meet their mom.

"No one does it better… than a natural bear mom," Ven groaned weakly with a weak smile. Then, he fainted.

"Ventus!" Martin gasped. Then, he picked up his big brother and carried him on his back after deactivating him. "Come on, big hero, let's get you home." He felt tears sting his eyes from hearing his deep breathing.

* * *

"Well, looks like Boo-Boo and Yum-Yum will be just fine," Aviva commented, as the team observed the bear family together. "Now that their mom's back, these two will grow up safe and sound."

"Wow… you were right. Grizzlies are tough," Ventus said, and he flinched as he felt the pain.

"Just don't put too much stress on yourself, and you'll be fine in no time," Chris guaranteed, as he finished bandaging his big brother.

"Ventus… um, thank you for the help," Martin said, kneeling down and resting his head on his arms. "But you could've..."

"... No problem... It's the least I could do… no matter how much you..."

"Look… I'm sorry for the last past days…" the Kratt in blue interrupted. "I just… found it very hard to find the strength to forgive you." Ventus felt even more resentful. "A-and no matter how much you say you're sorry, sometimes… sorry just isn't enough." Ven tried to lay his hand on his.

"I think I understand." Martin took his hand in both of his instead.

"So… look, don't expect me to forgive you already… I think I still need some time... but I do expect you to continue helping us. You may be a troublemaker, and a hard-to-deal person… but you're still my brother, and I love you very much. And I don't want to ever ignore that again."

"I... I think it's good enough… good enough for me." Ventus felt teary-eyed, as he saw his brother weakly smile at him.

 _Martin (voice-over): There are times where words can't make up for mistakes and past actions. But being with Momma Bear's cubs made me realize that no matter how rough the mistakes can be, you can't simply turn away from the ones you love. That is even more (giggle) un-bear-able. And even though it MIGHT take a while, I will never forget about Ventus again. Not about my protective big brother._

The two gave each other a small fist bump. The team felt happy they were talking to each other once again, and so did the reunited bear family.


	9. Episode 10: Too Many MKs

"Okay... let's take another look." Aviva stared proudly as her new invention.

"Cross your fingers," Ventus said.

Aviva pressed a button on her new invention. Immediatly, her screwdriver turned into... two screwdrivers.

"Woo-hoo!" Ventus cheered, while Aviva ran to his arms. "You did it, _querida_! You finally built a multipicator."

"This will make things easier for us here," Aviva said. "With the Multiplicator, we won't have to stop so often to get refilled."

"Or make multiple Creature Power Disks?"

"Yeah... this would actually spare lots of time for them to work on other stuff around here. Plus..." She looked at Ventus, approaching him. "It would give me more time to spend with y-"

"Hey, guys!" Martin came over, interrupting them. The couple shrieked of shock.

"Martin!" Ventus growled. "You scared us, dude!"

"Sor-ry," he replied. "Ooh! What's that?" He turned to the newest device.

"I was planning on showing the whole team, but I guess I can show you first. Presenting the multiplicator! Which multiplies any object placed in it!"

"This would spare us a lot of space! And time! And-and more Creature Power Disks!" Ven blushed a bit. He nearly said " time with my girl".

"Cool! Sorry again for the startling… I'm searching for… something."

"Something?"

"Oh! I think I know where it is! See ya!" Martin dashed into the hall with the rooms.

"I like my little bro, but sometimes he really annoys me," Ven said.

"Welcome to my world, _querido_ ," Aviva commented.

* * *

Martin started to mess things up as he always did whenever he checked the closet.

"There you are." Martin picked up a little velvet box, with a ring in it. "It costed me a lot, but it was really worth it."

"Whatcha looking at, bro?" Chris asked. He was startled, almost dropping the velvet box. Martin turned around, hiding it behind his back.

"Uh, I thought I would, uh... well, you know how I..."

"What are you hiding?" The brunet walked closer, so the blond backed up.

"What? Nothing."

"You sure?"

"Christopher, knock it off."

"What's going on in here?" Ventus asked, seeing the two bickering. "And what's that, Martin?" He saw the small box.

"*sigh* Just taking courage to take a big step forward in my life." He revealed the velvet covered box.

"I knew it! I knew you would end up proposing to Laura someday! About time!" Chris cheered. Martin immediately shushed him.

"Not so loud! And you say _I_ talk too loud."

"The marriage thing has really evolved," the Kratt in white said. "10,000 years ago, courting was much more complex."

"How would you know?" Chris asked.

"Oh, for Hera's sake." Martin chuckled at Ven's comment. "Well, Martin, you're about to make a very important decision then," Ven commented. "This may not only affect your life, but Gavin and Ronan's lives too."

"I already love those boys. They're really united and brave together. Just like the three of us."

"So you're gonna become their step-father," Chris concluded. "Laura sure is a lucky girl. She has two amazing sons, and a really awesome boyfriend."

"I know... oh, I'm also so intrigued. There's so much I wanna do today, and I guess I don't have all the time in the world."

"Guess you'll have to-" Ven was about to say, but Chris quickly covered his mouth.

"Not that "D" word, any word but that one!"

"What? "Decide"?" Ven asked, removing his hand. Martin froze from that word.

"D-d-d-decide?"

"Oh dear..." Chris said in worry. "You said it. The one thing Martin _can't_ do..." Suddenly, Martin went into a panic, and saying why it's hard to decide on anything. Chris covered his ears.

"How long does this last?" Ven asked, dumbfounded.

"A while, VK. Deal with it." Chris stared at him.

* * *

Koki and Jimmy were baking some chiparoos together, taking the time they had for each other.

"Now, the chocolate chips." Jimmy embraced his girlfriend from behind, as she was mixing the ingredients in the bowl. She gently picked up the small cup with small pieces of chocolate in it from her boyfriend's hand.

"Excuse me!" Martin passed through, nearly dropping them both.

"Martin, what in the creature world are you doing?" Koki complained.

"Sorry, gotta rush! I promised the kids I would join them in their recycled boat competition, and to see Laura at the park!, Then, I need to see mom, and pass by the candy store to experiment the newest cotton candy recipe," Martin explained. He had a timer on his neck. "Okay, if I can only make it to the lake in thirty seconds, I'm good."

Jimmy chuckled as he helped Koki get up. "Martin, honestly, you can't do all of this so quickly. If only there was more of you, maybe you could."

"Can you imagine the torture?" Koki teased. "Okay, back to cooking. These chiparros are gonna be the best!"

They both remained their work, while Martin remained stopped there. More of him… I-DE-A!

* * *

Martin snuck into the garage. He approached the multiplicator.

"I only hope Aviva doesn't mind me using it. Then again, she said it could be useful..." He saw the scanner. "Let's see... let's start with only one other me."

He put his hand on the scanner and pressed the button. The blond member got in the machine. A blue light scanned him and then he hopped out. Following him out was _another_ him.

"Wow! It worked!"

"Hi!" the clone greeted happily.

"Hi, eh- me. I'm you."

"But I'm me," the clone said, confused.

"We're both right." Martin smiled at him.

"YAY!"

"Okay, so I need you to go see Aidan and Gavin in the lake for their recycling boat competition. It's gonna be so fun, but I can't actually be there now. Can you do this for me?"

"Okay!" The clone was on his way, until... he came back, wanting to ask where it was.

"Turn around the Tortuga, nearby the bridge."

"Thanks."

As the clone left, the original Kratt in blue cheerfully sqeualed.

"O-ho, boy! This was probably the best idea I ever had! Nothing could possibly go wrong! Now, off to try once more." He picked up the velvet box.

* * *

The clone Martin walked rightfully to the lake.

"Hey, Martin!" Aviva called him, carrying a bag of spare parts.

"Oh...h-hey." Shoot. He didn't know her name.

"Mind helping me with these spare parts? I'm planning to improve some of my inventions with all this spare time, and give the rest for Antonio."

"Uh..." The clone looked at the lake. Then, he looked bck at her. "Uh…" Oh, boy… it was tough to decide: help her or the boys? Her or the boys? "Gotta go! Bye, Anita!" He left in a rush.

"Uh… okay, I guess," she said. "Anita?" She wondered, confused. Oh, well...

* * *

"Well, how did it go?" Martin saw the clone coming, and then noticed the look on his face. "Uh… are you okay?"

"Well, I was going to join Aidan and Kevin..."

"Gavin."

"Yeah, him, in the paper boat competition in the pond, but then Anita..."

"Aviva?"

"She asked me to help her with some spare pieces, and then I went to a fritz, by not knowing what to do, when I should have done what you told me to do, but I didn't! So I haven't done anything at a-a-all!" The clone burst into tears.

"Okay, okay. No need to panic. We just might need more of us for the job."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't lie to me, right?"

* * *

Once scanned, two Martin clones popped out of the machine.

"Wow! Now I can cover my visit to mom's, the cotton candy experimentation and helping Aviva!" Then, a thought struck. "Wait, what if suddenly someone else asks to do something with me?"

The clone scanned himself, and one more clone popped up.

"Well, that could work… but what if some invitation to something else comes to- what in the name of...?!" Martin gasped, seeing the machine starting to malfunction. "Uh-oh… okay, guess I can lead with this."

He searched for a whistle, and called his maybe hundreds of clones with it.

"Okay, now that you're all here, I need you all to cooperate. If we all split up, there'll be enough fun for every single one of us. We are in the city and all our friends are there, just waiting."

The Martins just overheard the word "fun" and started to jump in excitement.

"But, first, let's do a quick namecalling test." He showed them a sketchbook with portraits of her friends and family.

"Chris, Aviva, Mina, Jimmy, Martin!" The clones successfully answered.

"Good. Now, go around and have the maximum of fun you can!"

* * *

*BG music: GUMI - A Fake, Fake, Psychotropic*

As the Martins spread around the city, they all did things that Martin liked to do: swimming, climbing on trees, searching for creatures… however, the excess of MKs started to be… too much for everyone.

Laura got surprised by receiving a bouquet from one of the Martins, but another came with chocolates, the other with stuffed creatures.

Zach took a look out the window of his mansion, and gasped as he saw the millions of Martins running around. Immediately, he drew close the curtains.

With members of the team, they were a bit shocked to have three to five Martins around them.

"Don't tell me he messed with the multiplicator," Aviva complained. Ventus looked over to see the invention broken.

"Yup." His girlfriend sighed.

"Martin William Kratt..." she mumbled.

"Yes?" three Martins asked.

"Not YOU!" Ven answered, making the Martins disperse in fright. "Oops..." He shied off, as everyone stared at him.

Martin (the original) walked around the city, but once he witnessed the mess his clones caused, he gulped in nervousness.

"Oh, my gosh. I gotta find some help!" he yelled at himself. "But... what if people can't tell me apart from them?" He looked down into a nearby puddle. "We have the same jacket, shorts, boots, eyes... even the stripes! I don't even know if… _I'm_ the original anymore!" Martin collapsed on the floor, nearly in a state of shock, as the Martin clones ran around in their happy-go-lucky way.

* * *

Aviva tried fixing the Multiplicator. It was pratically on the fritz.

"I can't believe that bozo did this! I should have known I should have waited to show it to everyone."

"Well, he said he wanted to do much stuff in the city," Chris commented. "And watch your tongue, okay? He had the best of intentions."

"Just because he can't do the 'D' word."

"The 'D' word?" Sam asked.

"Decide," the Kratts answered. Then, Laura ran in, panting.

"I do appreciate the gifts the… Martins gave me, but… looks too excessive, even for him," Laura admitted, while chewing on the chocolates. "What? I eat when I'm nervous too."

"Don't worry, though, you guys. Luckily, M.A.T.I. and I had programmed in a reset option that will make the copies disappear." Aviva showed them the upgrade in the machine, as she wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"That's just what we need, _querida_!" Ventus cheered.

 **"But there's a problem,"** M.A.T.I. pointed out. **"If we don't choose wisely, we might make the real Martin disappear... forever!"**

"Forever?!" Chris, Laura and Ven exclaimed. Laura eventually fainted, and was caught by Tania. Her chocolates fell to the ground.

"Oh dear... That's a waste of chocolate," the brunette with glasses commented.

* * *

Aviva and Chris walked among the havoc caused by the Martins.

"That origins decoder I was going to install into the machine later would've really helped at this moment. But since Martin used it before I could, it won't work."

"So that puts a dent in the idea."

"Oh, boy, this is gonna be something very hard! We can't risk erasing the real Martin from existence. But we have to get rid of these clones. So how will we know which is the real one?"

"What about that one right there?" Chris pointed at the depressed one seated under a tree.

"Come on Chris, Martin never sits down for that long unless he's at the table eating."

"Aviva, you may be smart, but you still don't know THAT much about Martin. Even he has his limits." Chris sternly stared at her. Then, he walked up to the pouting Martin. "Hey, do you think you're the real Martin?"

"Who knows? It could be any one of us," Martin sighed.

"Uh… okay..." Chris stepped away, turning to Aviva. "Hm… if only we could do something that could show the real Martin..."

"Like… a test?" Aviva wondered. "One of the few things Martin dislikes in the world?"

"But one that could prove the real Martin wants to stay with us..." Chris had an idea. "Reunite everyone in the Tortuga, and try reuninting all the Martins you can! Stat!" He turned to the Martin under the tree, but he was already gone.

* * *

As fast as Aviva could clean the place messed up by Martin and his clones, the team found a way to attract them all: cookies.

"There's no other thing a Martin can't resist than candy."

"Especially Jimmy's chiparoos," Koki added, as she saw every single Martin entering the Tortuga. "Good thing we just made them."

"Well, now that all of you are here-"

"Wait!" Ven called, pulling a for-some-reason sad Martin by the hand. "There's one more. Found him sitting at the pond just poking the water and staring at his reflection."

"Put him in the middle of the others," Aviva said.

"NO!" Chris called. "Put him here in the first line where I can see him."

As Ventus placed him in the first line, Chris stared at him. Something deep within him was telling him that sad one was his brother. His REAL one.

"The sad one again… you don't really think THIS one is..."

"Let's do the test, and see who's right," Chris interrupted Aviva.

"Okay, guys, we have a challenge for you."

"A challenge?!" the Martins (except the one, who stayed quiet) exclaimed happily.

"And it's an easy one."

"Boring!" they groaned, though the sad one's eyes then sparked with hope.

"You better take it seriously," Chris pointed out. "Because the winner gets to stay." The oddball stood tall, waiting to hear what the challenge could be.

"The challenge is... a Quiet Challenge!" the Air couple announced.

"WHAT?!" the Martins gasped. The oddball gulped in nervousness, though no sound came out.

"Okay! Timer's ready, and..." Ven waited for it before hitting the button. "GO!" The room was immediately silent. The clones looked around the Tortuga, trying hard not to speak. The peculiar Martin looked at his competition. Some were actually starting to sweat from trying not to talk. He had to mentally chuckle at that.

 _'This quiet game might be easier than I thought,'_ he said in his head.

"Ooh! A bluebird!" one of the Martins said, looking out the window.

"Now, M.A.T.I.!" Aviva gave the word. M.A.T.I. activated the specific function and it made the Martin vanish in a blue light.

Martin mentally gulped. _'Maybe it_ won't _be so easy,"_ he thought. _'Ooooh, what would Chris do if he's in this situation? Okay, this is about patience. Patience to keep your voice and opinions in. Chris learned that a while back. But what does he do that's quiet? Wait! Of course! He meditates!'_

The blond took a deep breath and exhaled calmly. He sat down quietly cross legged and closed his eyes.

"That can't be him. He's not even sweating," Aviva whispered. "And he doesn't meditate a lot either."

"Just keep calm and carry on, okay?" Chris said.

"Oh hi, Bite-Size!" One of the Martins waved, seeing the bat flying around. Zap!

"Wanna see a funny trick?" Other Martin said, playing the coin trick with another Martin.

"Huh?" Zap! Zap!

"Bet you can't hold your breath longer than me!" a Martin was challenging several others.

Zap zap zap zap zap zap zap ZAP! M.A.T.I. wiped some sweat off her forehead. Sam actually gave her a worried look.

Soon, there were only two Martins left. The one standing was starting to sweat. The one meditating just breathed calmly. Neither made a sound. Everyone just watched. Jimmy and Koki were starting to fall asleep.

"Ugh... alright, that's it!" Koki stood up. "Who's up for a new Creature Power?"

"ME! ME!"

Zap! And the second to last one was gone.

Chris smiled happily. He got it right: that Martin that never said one word even before the challenge was his brother. He looked at Aviva.

"Okay, okay, I admit it. I don't know your brother better than you," Aviva sighed in defeat. "Happy?"

"You bet." Chris smiled at Martin, making Aviva smile.

"Martin, hello in there." HIS bro snapped out of his concentration and cracked an eye open. "Martin, you can talk now." He opened his other eye at that.

"Huh?"

"You won, bro." Martin looked around him. The clones were gone.

"I knew it. I knew somehow you were the real one. You may joke a lot... but even you know when to take things seriously."

"Yeah... Chris is right. I'm sorry, Martin. I'm just so used to your silly behavior I forgot you can also be serious."

"Hm… I'll take the silly as a compliment. And it's okay, Aviva. Not always are you the big Smarty-Mc-Genius around here. And I owe you an apology for using your duplicator so much. I just didn't want to choose between my best friends and my girl."

"It's okay for me if you want to spent time with them. I know how important they are to you," Laura said. "Plus, I also can join the fun, can't I?"

"Sure thing, Laura. There's always room for one more."

"I'm me! I'm ME! I'M ME!" Martin cheered. "Am I?" He saw his sprigs moving. "Yeah, I am." Everyone laughed.

* * *

Martin (voice over): " _It's alright to choose between your friends, because they respect your choice. I was afraid of breaking someone's heart with my choice… but friends always find a way of joining in."_

By the end of the day, after helping fix the havoc his clones caused, Martin was exhausted.

"Well, he had a really busy day," Ventus commented.

"And he's not the only one." Chris yawned. "Excuse, gotta sleep for 1,000 years."

"And I need to refill my tank before taking another nap," Jimmy commented.

"I'll just be here by Martin's side," Laura said. Then, she saw Martin snoring by her side, and he had the velvet covered box, with the ring in it.

She got the message, and after wiping a tear of joy from her eye, she carefully picked the ring up, laying her head close to his.

"I do..." She whispered to him, before falling asleep.


	10. Episode 11: Laura and the Frozen Heart

In the Tortuga HQ, nearly by nighttime, the team set everything up for a costume party.

"What's taking those two so long?" Mina wondered in her fairy costume.

"They said their costumes were spot on," Ven replied, dressed as Caesar. "Whatever that could be."

The bros entered, dressed as princes, although their clothes style were an obvious reference to a certain movie about snow and frozen hearts.

"Hm, where have I seen this before?" Mina teased. Laura and Tania entered, dressed like two familiar characters from two obvious movies.

"Are we late?" Laura asked. There was a certain ring on her finger.

"Nope, actually a bit early," Koki in a genie costume replied.

"I told you so," Tania muttered to Laura.

"You were the one that said we needed to leave immediately."

"Ladies, please. No fighting tonight. It's a celebration," Martin said.

"We weren't fighting, Sugar Snow," Laura chuckled.

"Wow… girlfriends have the strangest nickname ideas," David as an Eskimo chuckled. "Not that I don't like being called "Doctor" by Clarissa..."

* * *

The party started pretty well. M.A.T.I. was the music DJ, selecting the music. Once she picked a slow song for the team, Aviva stopped dancing.

"Let's try something a bit more rock n' roll," Aviva requested.

"We just heard five songs in the rock genre in a row," Koki complained.

"Aw, come on! I'm having guitar lessons, and I want to improve as best as I can."

"Can't we listen to something more tech like? At least one?"

"You don't even have your DJ station!"

"Girls, come on! Now's not the time for fighting!" Martin tried to break them up. "We're supposed to have fun!"

"Stay out of this!" The two girls forcefully shoved him, knocking him to the ground.

"Will you both leave him alone?!" Chris scolded. "He was trying to help, and you're putting your anger out on him!"

"Well then, Chris, keep that ice king freak out of our business!" they both snapped. The A.I. was so shocked, the music completely stopped. The guests and the team turned to the girls.

Aviva and Koki gasped, covering their mouths, not believing what they just said.

The word "freak" rang in the Water Guardian's ears. His irises shrunk. The words his father said when he left played in his mind.

 _"Listen, you freak of nature, never come near my girls again."_

"Martin? You alright?" Ven asked. Martin slowly stood up with his head low. Everyone could feel the air around them get cold.

"That's it," he heard Martin almost growl in a low tone. "You both think you can just push me around all you want." Aviva and Koki noticed his rage. Chris turned around. "Well, I've had enough." Then, his earring turned black.

"Martin?" Chris called in worry.

"No one... No one will ever call me "freak" again. You hear me?" He lifted his head up, eyes glowing ice blue in a glare of fury. "NO ONE!" He stomped on the ground, causing ice stalagmites to harpoon up.

The ceiling filled with dark clouds as a blizzard suddenly occurred. The team braced themselves. When everything seemed to calm down, the whole park was covered in a blanket of snow, but the group gasped at Martin.

His clothes were his Guardian robe, but in darker shades. His hair was black, except for a single navy blue stripe. And his eyes... They no longer were the light blue that showed innocence, but ice blue with gray sclera and pure rage.

"I-is that... Martin's darkness?" Koki gulped.

"Ice..." Ventus stated with a serious tone. "First Thorn, now you..." He didn't answer him, just left, ignoring everyone around.

But, somehow, he tripped on his own cape, the only thing of his costume that stayed, injuring his arm on one of his own stalagmites. But he ran away before anyone, except for Laura, could notice.

"Did anyone else... notice that?" she asked.

"Notice what?" Aviva asked.

"His arm. He's hurt."

"So…"

"So?! Would you leave someone hurt?!" Laura argued. "I'm going after him."

"Laura, this is Ice! He'll never let you near him, unless you're an ice statue!" Ven exclaimed near David.

"Ow, I think you need voice volume lessons."

"Sorry, but seriously! Granted, he's not as powerful as Thorn, but he's still dangerous! That's why he was sealed away in the first place!"

"Well, I gotta try. Martin needs me!"

"He's not Martin!" Ventus snapped. "He's a monster!"

"How are you so sure?" Laura asked. Ventus was going to answer, but then, he stopped to think about it. She got him. "This is just like with Thorn. You don't know anything about him. I'm going there, and that's final."

"Oh, boy. You touched her nerves, VK," Koki pointed out.

"Then, I'm coming with you," Chris said.

"Count me in, girlfriend," Tania added.

"Thanks. Good to have someone by my side," Laura pointed out. Ventus stayed back, dumbfounded. The trio headed off through the snow.

* * *

Laura followed the trail of ice. She felt lucky that she always carried a coat in her purse, for it started to get chilly.

"Good thing my costume is based off a character that deals with the cold," Tania commented.

"O... M... Gee…" Laura commented, as the group saw a magnificent ice and snow castle on the lake. "How did he get this up so fast?"

"Why are you here?" Ice looked at her from the other side of an ice made drawbridge. His expression showed that he felt sad.

"We're here to see if you're okay," Laura said. "We were worried..."

"Worried?" Ice asked. "About a freak like me?"

"You're not a freak like they said. At least, I don't think you are. I actually think you're…. amazing."

"You do… really?" Then, he flinched in pain.

"Ooo, that doesn't look good," Chris said.

"Please, let us help you," Laura offered.

"P-please, don't come closer. I'm fine, really..." Ice eventually tripped on his own cape again. Laura didn't hesitate to hurry to his side.

"Sshh… It's okay… I promise we won't bite." She placed some bandages on Ice's arm. "There. That should do it."

"Wow… I do feel better. T-thanks." Ice blushed. He gave her a warm smile.

"You have a pretty smile."

"Really? You think so?"

"I know so. I think you're marvelous, ever since we met."

"But… you didn't meet ME. You met Martin Kratt."

"And you ARE him. Just a different side of him that… I believe is completely misunderstood," Laura affirmed. "I know that. I was judged as a kid as well for my… eccentricity. Everyone thought I was too cheery, and they thought it was... strange."

"Well… I think you're lovely." Ice caressed her hands. Laura laid her head on his shoulder.

"I was so worried about you..." Her voice soothed. Ice blushed harder. He wished he could tell her to leave him… but he didn't. He was liking her company. "They might think darkness is always bad for some reason… but there are some good things in the dark. Come on. I'll show you." Laura smiled at him, kissing him on the cheek.

"We should give them some space," Tania said to Chris.

"Yeah, looks like she's got it covered." The two tiptoed to outside the castle.

*BG Music: Tears for Fears - Mad World*

Laura stood up and lent him her hand. Ice accepted and he got up. Soon, Laura showed him the stars in the sky, and the fireflies in the woods. The two listened to the crickets and the scurrying of little critters.

It did look beautiful at night. But to Ice… surely nothing was more beautiful than Laura.

* * *

"Any calls? Messages? Texts?" Ventus asked constantly.

"No, no, no! None of them," Aviva answered. "But I'm sure they're fine."

"Or they were frozen. I'm sure of it," Ventus pointed out.

" _Cariño_ , you're being ridiculous."

"Oh, no, I'm not! I know how monstrous Ice can be! Mom had to fight him herself!"

"No, you don't! Laura is right at a certain point: you only saw them once and then, you did that!" Aviva argued.

"Guys, no fighting. I don't wanna clean everything up again," Clarissa pointed out.

 **"Yes, everything was trashed last time you got in an argument with someone, Vincent!"** M.A.T.I. scolded.

"Ugh! Not my real name!" Ventus whined. "Especially from an A.I. who looks no older than Sam."

"What does that have to do with any of this?" the mutant Guardian questioned. "Besides, what about Martin?"

"Did you call Ice "Martin"?" Aviva asked.

"They are the same body. Just different minds." Sam quickly covered his mouth. Ventus rushed to the closet. The rest stared sternly at him. "Uh… forget what I said."

* * *

Laura was enjoying her time with Ice, knowing full well that it was still her dear Martin. But then, she felt him back away a little. The young woman turned around to see him standing a couple of feet away. He had an unsure look on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"... You should go now. Your friends must be missing you."

"Oh, sorry. But I'm sure not going back soon. They offended me. But what about you? You'd be alone."

"It's better that way… I guess… I never really knew another way…"

"You know now. I'm here. You're scared of being isolated, but you're causing isolation to yourself," Laura said. "A bit ironic, don't you think?"

"You got me. It's just..." Ice clenched his fists. "They see me as a freak. A monster. Only because I'm someone's darkness."

"How are you sure of that? Ever tried asking if that was true?"

"No... Ventus locked me up before I..."

"Ugh, sure. In my opinion, all he did was listen to Hermia. Nothing against her or him, but… I think their ideal of darkness is really wrong. Look at us. We're talking… and you're not hurting me at all."

Ice remained quiet. She did have a point.

"In fact, I feel really calm around you. Really peaceful." He made her a signal to wait, and made a lynx out of some snow.

"Aw, she's so pretty. Wait, is it a she?"

"Yes." Ice smiled. "Wanna give her a name? I can't think of anything." Laura chuckled.

* * *

"This time, only Ice." Ventus cleaned the mirror one more time. He kept it in the closet in case he needed it. "I swear."

"I'm still sure you're being really doubtful about Laura and the others," Koki commented.

"Ice can freeze the state if he wanted to! I'm doing it and that's final!"

"Guys, Clarissa said it, no picking a fight with each other now." David entered the conversation, before a catfight started.

 **"Stop it!"** M.A.T.I finally shouted. No one seemed to hear her, and she groaned. She activated the Wow Fact alarm, to call their attention. Bite-Size, who was sleeping in his bat box, woke up from the noise.

"Help! Earthquake! Earthq- huh?" The team stared at him. "Okay, what did I miss?"

* * *

Chris looked inside the castle through the ice walls to see how things were doing. Everything seemed fine. Laura and Ice were sitting in the main hall, apparently talking.

"Was Thorn like this?" he asked Tania.

"You don't remember?"

"Not much. I recall the events, but not much of what was said."

"Well… yes, he was such a sweetie. Ventus was the one to blame, though. He acted like the monster he thought he was."

"Oh, that's what I'm afraid of," Chris admitted. "What if he goes… like that again?"

"Koki told me how Martin acted to him after the incident. You won't be like that too, would you?"

"... I'm not sure," Chris sighed. Then, he heard soft music coming from the wall.

"Care to dance?" Ice offered his hand to Laura.

"I… I can't skate very well..."

"I'll help you." Ice gently took her hands and helped keep her balance. They started slow, letting her get the hang of it. But then, Laura tripped and fell onto him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the save." Ice got caught off guard when she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. His face went pink.

"Awe..." Chris squealed.

"You said it," Tania commented. "Hey… why don't we join them?"

"Will they even let us? Looks like they're hogging the whole dance floor." The door opened for them.

"I'm sure they weren't mind."

"Thank goodness you two are alright!" a certain voice called.

"Uh oh," the brunette couple muttered in worry.

* * *

Inside, Ice and Laura were calmly standing on the icy floor, holding each other firmly once they finished their dance.

"Martin loves you very much. Now I know why."

"You do?"

"Of course." He nuzzled her. "Such a kind-hearted and determined person… the perfect match."

"I'm not perfect… he is. Or more precise, YOU are."

"Through my eyes… you can see him, right? That's how you're certain we're both the same being."

"So smart..." Laura laid her head on his chest. He blushed again, but kissed her forehead.

The two were startled by sudden shouting at the door.

"Ventus, wait!" they heard Chris yell. The doors suddenly slammed open.

"You beast!" VK snapped, making Ice cringe. "Let go of her!"

"Don't you dare call him that!" Laura snapped, defending Ice. "He's not a beast, or a monster! What's wrong with you?!"

"Yeah, Ventus! What in the creature world is your problem?! Are you simply going to yell at anything you don't know or don't care to know?" Chris snapped, rushing to Laura's side. The Tortuga team arrived shortly behind him.

"Ven, stop! Nothing is wrong!" Aviva called for him.

"What do you mean, 'nothing is wrong'?! LOOK!" He pointed at Ice, who was holding Laura closer to him like she was a teddy bear.

"Look at what? At another side of my dear Martin that's afraid of being alone?!" Laura growled. "I'm sorry to be the bad news reporter, but YOU'RE being a monster now!"

Ventus shrieked in hatred, having enough of that, and decided to show Ice the mirror. In fear, Ice backed up, only to create involuntary ice stalagmites around him.

"Ice?!" Laura screamed in shock and worry.

"Ventus!" Chris yelled in frustration, holding his wrist with vines and pushing him down. Ventus stared at him, panting in fury, then, he gasped, seeing his reflection in one of the stalagmites. He looked not at all like himself. This made him let go of the mirror, breaking it.

"Wow. There comes seven years of bad luck," Jimmy pointed out.

"Not the best time, Jimmy," Mina whispered.

" _Cariño_?" Aviva looked at him.

"Bro?" Chris asked.

"Oh… my… Zeus… But I was… I was..." Only he saw the "beast". The others saw a normal reflection.

"Only forcing him to do what he doesn't want to do!" Laura complained. "I'm sorry, but you are not helping a bit with this! Why can't you trust any of us ONCE?! Just once?!"

"She's right..." Koki argued. "I'm sorry to agree, but you're being the monster you thought he was." Aviva nodded in agreement.

"It's okay, dear… Ice, I'm here. Now please, hear me… I need you to weaken your power. Please… for me… Martin..." Laura's eyes filled with tears. Ice breathed hard, calming down, and reducing the stalagmites he trapped himself in. He knew he could trust Laura.

Ice knelt on the floor, letting her kiss him calmly on the lips. His earring turned white. The darkness started to lift off in blue sparkles. Soon, only Martin was seen from where Ice was. The team smiled at them, while Ventus remained shocked.

"How are you feeling now?" Laura asked with a calm smile.

"Much better." Martin looked up, with small tears in his light blue eyes. "Thank you, Laura."

"You blew off twice. One more time and you're out," Chris told Ventus, with a stern look. The Kratt in white looked down, ashamed, and left them alone, flying away.

" _Cariño_..." Aviva felt bad for him. She looked at Chris.

"I don't know if I or Martin can fully trust him again… at least not soon." Then, he recomforted himself, seeing Laura and Martin embracing.

"So… what we're gonna do now?" Clarissa wondered. "We have a big ice castle in the middle of the nowhere, and the costume party was completely blown off."

"I think I can solve that." Martin thought.

* * *

Soon, everyone was enjoying a sunny day in the ice castle.

"Let's see… I noted Ice emerging, Laura staying with him, her love making him return into Martin..." Luna noted everything.

"And that there'll always be people that will see what's good in you, even though you look dangerous," Martin added. "Heck, I don't know why everyone thought Ice was mean, just because he was afraid."

"Well, maybe people just have to give each other some time to know someone better, instead of primarily judging." Eris appeared through a portal. "I heard about what you did with Ice, and I must thank you for solving it much more peacefully than last time."

"Um… thank you?" Laura said.

"Relax, she's on our side," Martin calmed her down.

"But until things are good to go… we better keep Ice and Thorn a secret from Hermia," Eris decided. "You're learning to balance your own dark sides, and this can be a benefit in the future. I know this." Martin nodded in full agreement.

The snow lynx from before came to Eris, licking her face.

"Aww, look at this cutie."

"Shall we continue that dance? Guess we never finished it," Laura pointed out.

"Sure, why not?" Martin agreed, taking her hand, and they both started skating around the floor of the castle. None of them noticed, but Martin's shadow seemed to smile.


	11. Episode 12: The Quills Have Eyes

"Ah, it's been a while since we've been in Africa," Chris commented. "Good to be back to the continent where we lived some of our greatest adventures."

"Phew, it's not in the line of the equator for nothing," Ven panted, zipping down his collar. Chris and Martin agreed in silence. Both were still a bit upset with him.

The team felt bad about the bros' situation. When will they ever get on good terms again?

"Hey, you guys don't mind that I go for a hike, do you?" David asked with a backpack ready. "I wanna make sure there are no Amelia and her Predators around."

"You really just want to explore the Savannah," Elsa teased. "It's what you've talking about lately."

"S-so what, huh?" David complained. "I like the Savannah. But we can't forget that Operation Thunderdome is still on. Amelia has plenty of access to creatures to turn into mutated beasts, and we gotta stop here, remember?"

"Don't worry, David. I call the Wild Kratt Kids everyday to make sure they're all taking steps on protecting themselves of possible Predator attack," Aviva pointed out. "And _cariño…_ give them some time, okay?" She pointed to the Kratt Bros.

"I don't know, _querida_ … somehow, I feel… like we'll never be as united as before..." Ventus admitted. Aviva felt the intensity of the situation.

"Okay, bye..." David stepped forward, wanting to avoid the negative energy around him.

* * *

David walked a long distance, feeling at rest.

"Nothing like fresh air in a warm habitat that stretches for miles," he commented.

As David sat down, he felt his hand get pricked.

"Ow!" He recoiled and pulled away. A hedgehog walked out from the small bush. "Oh, sorry there. Didn't know you were around." The small creature seemed to stare. "Oh, right. Hold on a minute." He used the power of his medallion to activate that power.

"You young fellers sure do cause mischief in these parts," the spiny creature said. "Never pay attention to where you're sittin'."

"Wow, sorry. Didn't mean to cause harm," David said.

"*sigh* It's fine. You're not the first one to do it. Trust me, once a lion stepped on me."

"Ouch. I feel sorry for that cat."

"Got what's coming to him, if ya ask me."

"Yeah. Oh, my name's David."

"David, hm? I didn't bother about names, I myself don't have one."

"Well, I have a name that loves naming creatures. But since he's not here at the moment, I'll give you one."

"Hmph. Okay. Long as it's not too silly. I am one tough ball of spikes, and would not like to be offended."

"Okay, chill the quills. Speaking of quills, they're sharp as needles. Hey, that could work. Does Needle sound okay?"

"Needle? What's a needle?"

"Come on, I'll show you," David chuckled, carefully picking him up. "Whoa, you don't have quills on the underbelly. Kinda soft, actually."

"That's where we're vulnerable the most. That's why there's quills on our backs," Needle said. "But watch your hands, okay? I'm ticklish."

"I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

Back in the HQ, everyone observed Needle.

"Needle?" Martin questioned. "Really?"

"Got a better idea?" David asked. "At least it's not "Needlemouse"."

"Oh Hermes, no! Definitely not!" His siblings laughed.

"He's so cute," Mina commented.

"Cute? Sorry, young lady, but "cute" ain't a word I go by," the rodent replied.

"A Southern African hedgehog isn't even a mouse at all," Chris informed. "It's considered a rodent, but it has no relation to a mouse. See? Its tail and ears are too small."

"Hedgehogs are no where near related to the rodent family to begin with," Martin added. "They only live in the family, Erinaceidae, shrew like animals with spines on their backs."

"And they curl into a ball when threatened. This, however, is not always enough defense against the powerful claws and hard feet of predatory birds like owls."

"Owls?!" Bites and Needle yelped. The bat went back in his bat box and the hedgehog rolled up. There was a sudden rattling noise.

"Where's that rattling coming from?" Jimmy asked. "I thought you said rattlesnakes don't live in Africa."

"It's just the hedgehog, JZ," Ven chuckled. "Wait, what? He rattles?'"

"Yes, southern african hedgehogs shake their quills as a way of getting out a message," Chris confirmed. "And right now, he's saying, 'Go away! I've got these quills, and I'm not afraid to use them!'"

"That is what I said," Needle said, uncurling. "Can you read minds or something?"

"Well, sort of. It's a long story."

"Guess what, guys? I've got inspiration..." Aviva said. "If I can get a little more info, I can modify the African Crested Porcupine disk to be compatible with hedgehog. They all have quill defense so it won't be a problem to program it."

"Oh, I call it! After all, I found him!" David said excitedly. "And named him." Aviva nodded to him. "Aw, yeah!"

Then, Clarissa saw Needle walking to get some bugs on a pot.

"Hey, no!" Mina stopped him. "That's the bugs I got for my bros for studying." Then, she caught an earthworm from it. "Well, you can have this one. It already had been studied."

"Wow, he's fast for a small guy," Clarissa stated.

"Surprisingly, Southern African Hedgehogs can sprint to 7 kilometers an hour despite how slow they're described to be," Chris informed. Then, he saw Needle eating with ferocity.

"Wow, how long has it been since you ate?"

"I guess… months."

"Wow! Months?!" Jimmy gasped. "I'm going to get more earthworms for him!"

"Meanwhile, you'll like to know that the hedgehog disks are ready!" Aviva warned. "Catch, David!"

"Thanks, Aviva." He took his CPS and held Needle. "Activate Hedgehog powers!" Once fully transformed, he observed the quills on his back. "Groovy. Anyone interested in joining me?" The Kratt Bros lifted their hands.

"Meanwhile, we'll take care of Needle here," Elsa stated.

"I thank you, young lady, but I can pretty much take care of myself," Needle said, a bit of sadness in his severe tone. The team wondered about that.

* * *

David and the Kratt Trio experimented their new Creature Power. David went into ball form, making a passing Jimmy back up a bit.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry, JZ. I'm just really excited about this new power. You know… I guess hedgehogs just entered my favourite creature list."

"After raccoons?" Sam asked.

"A little lower than raccoons, but higher than cheetahs," David answered.

"Is there a nomination for this?" Jimmy wondered.

The Kratt Bros passed by, rolling in their spiny ball form. Then, the younger one stood up, dizzy.

"I wonder if that videogame hedgehog has problems like this..." he said, as he regained his balance. Ventus couldn't help but to giggle.

"Luckily I haven't eaten yet, or else… yuck," Martin assured, as he regained his balance as well.

"Guess we'll just run and test the hedgehog's velocity while exploring."

"I'm with ya, bro." The two hedgehog-powered brothers left to explore the surroundings.

"Hey, wait for me!" Mina called, following them. Then, the bros saw Ventus following them and they… sort of lost it.

"Where do you think you're going?" Chris snapped. Ven came to a stop in confusion.

"I-I was coming along-"

"No way! Every time you set foot off the ship, disaster follows!" Martin shouted in his face. "You just go back in there and do noth-" Then, a group of lions roared at them.

"Uh-oh!" Mina gulped. "Trouble!" The bros turned their backs to see the danger they were into. Ventus, despite his brothers' protests, stepped forward.

"Touch them, and I'll poke your eyes out!" The lions feared the quills, knowing they had to step back. Ventus didn't hesitate to charge at the wildcats with his quills.

"That's one angry hedgehog," Mina commented.

"Would you stop playing hero?!" Chris said in a bit of worry, as the lions finally left.

"What do you mean? You-"

"We don't want you hurting yourself because of us!" Martin shouted. "Seriously, what's wrong with you?"

"Then, what do you want?! Please just tell me!" Ventus asked, even more confused.

"We don't _want_ to tell you, Ventus! Just leave us alone and think about it for yourself like you've always done!"

"What?" He turned to them. What they saw... just broke them. The look on his face, the tears streaming down, they had never seen him in so much pain before. The Kratt in white ran away, not minding about deactivating. Mina stood in front of the brothers. They shuddered at her angry glare.

"I had enough of this situation! What you just said is completely wrong! Mother told me about Ventus… he NEVER thought about himself once. He always cared about his brothers... his family… the only friends he had… I know he tried to hurt you, but it's just because he doesn't know yet and is scared to lose you!"

Martin and Chris gasped at their hurtful words, as they saw how badly they hurt their own brother. The two sat down under a tree, breathing heavily. Mina stayed by their side.

"Terra… Aqua... is it true?" Chris muttered, seeing that their subconsciences weren't wanting to answer. "Please… Talk to us..." Chris asked, looking at his medallion.

"We need some subconscious advice..." Martin said. The medallions didn't even glow. "Guess we're not the only ones scarred."

" **Uh, hello? Forget about us?"** Ice's voice was heard.

"Wh-what do you guys want?" Martin didn't want to look at his own shadow, which started moving independently. Mina stepped back a bit.

" **If Terra and Aqua doesn't want to say anything… we will, and you'll listen,"** Thorn pointed out.

"... Do we have a choice?" Chris reluctantly agreed.

" **What Mina said is true. Ventus really never thought about himself, he only cared about his family and friends. It's true he really doesn't know anything about us… all he did was obey HER… but I believe it's only because she decreed..."** Thorn fell silent.

"Decreed what?" Chris questioned.

 **"That users of Darkness... are put to death,"** Ice completed Thorn's quote.

"What?!" the two Guardians gasped.

"H-Hermia will go that far?" Martin asked.

" **I fear so.**

 _ **"But we weren't actually trapped in the mirror long ago, you know. We got scared of it, so we retreated deep within them. Ven must've feared she would do something like hurt Terra and Aqua... if he couldn't keep both of us contained."**_

The brothers' hearts ached even more. Ventus… all that time, was just, even in the wrong way, trying to help them.

" **But look, despite all that happened, we don't hate him, neither her… and neither should you,"** Ice said.

" **We just… feel upset that neither him or her know better… or if they even worry about knowing better..."** Thorn completed. " **But you know… I really hope you both can help them understand."**

The bros turned to their shadows, with small smiles. The shadows smiled back, becoming normal shadows a while after that.

"Guys..." Mina wiped some tears of regret for arguing with them. "I'm… I'm..."

"Don't be sorry. You were right about that scolding." Chris wiped her tears. "Guess we have a problem of our own to solve here." The two of them stood up to return with their heads low to the Tortuga.

* * *

"Dude, I wonder how YOU don't get dirty in your ball form," David said to Needle, as he cleaned up the dust from his quills before deactivating.

"You know, unlike what you and those two did, we don't usually roll. We stay in one place so our undersides aren't exposed."

"Oh… okay. But it is pretty fun, you know." Needle managed to chuckled a little, but returned to his thoughts.

As the brothers arrived, the team wondered about the situation.

"Wow… what happened to them?" Koki asked.

"They don't wanna talk about it..." Mina warned. "And I guess neither do I."

"Wow… they look worse than Needle here," Elsa said. "Even more gloomy like."

"Wait. Needle is feeling gloomy?" Martin's attention was caught. "What's up, buddy?"

"I was… just thinking about my family..." Needle confessed. "My two daughters and mate…

 _"I remember that we went one day to search for food… and it was all calm. No predators, no one trying to bite us… until we heard a strange noise._

 _"A human-made vehicle passed by… and my mate knocked me and my daughters off the way… she got hit… and didn't survive._

 _"Living only with my little girls, I needed to protect them at all cost. We lived for a while in peace, until we got separated. It all went so quick… a stampede of rhinos… I didn't even know that was possible! When the dust cleaned up, they were gone. They disappeared._ "

"Stampede of rhinos..." Chris recognized that. "*gasp* Let the Rhinos Roll adventure!"

"Wow… since THAT day, you have not seen them anymore?" Martin asked.

"Yes..." Needle looked down. "They were so little… Now I don't have anyone by my side..."

"Wow… you're pretty tough, but you DO have a soft spot," David commented.

"You would feel this way if your sister was taken away from you, wouldn't you?"

"Touché."

"At least your kind is no where near threatened," Martin pointed out. "They're still a huge population of them in Africa so they're considered least concerned."

"That doesn't make me feel better," Needle said. "Still, I appreciate you trying to help me."

"We love helping creatures of all kind," David said. "That's just how we are."

"Well, I am glad to hear there are people CARING for someone like me."

This last quote made the bros gulp in sadness and nervousness.

"It was that thing with VK, right?" Jimmy guessed. Mina stared in surprise. "What? We all can agree that the situation between the three was unbearable. But if they're brothers… I think they should leave all these weights behind and move forward." Then, the team heard the brothers leave the HQ. "Was it something I said?"

"You think?" Mina said.

" **Wow! I found two hedgehogs on my scanner,"** M.A.T.I informed. " **Not too far away either. And according to the genealogy scan… they're related to Needle!"**

"My family… " Needle whispered in hope.

"Only one way to find out." David once again picked up the shrew like creature.

* * *

As the group went to search for the hedgehogs, the bros looked around for Ven.

"When it's not the girls to tell us off, it's Jimmy who makes us feel terrible," Martin pouted, wiping tears from his eyes.

"But we needed that, bro. We WERE horrible to him," Chris admitted.

"But do you think he'll ever forgive us?"

"I don't know..." Chris signaled the Tortuga A.I. on his Creaturepod. "M.A.T.I., has... Ventus ever come back?"

 **"No. He wouldn't respond to his Creaturepod either. Guess he simply turned it off. Sorry."**

The brothers sighed.

"It's all my fault. I was the one that first threatened him," Martin said.

"No, it's my fault. My threat was worse than yours."

"How can you prove that?"

"I made him go away! You simply shocked him!"

" **STOP!"** M.A.T.I interrupted them. The connection was still up. " **This is not going to help! If you're so regretful, do what Jimmy said: Leave all that weight behind and move forward!"**

The brothers took a deep breath.

"She's right. What matters now is finding Ventus," Chris decided. Martin agreed, and they both set off. "I just hope the team are having more luck than us..."

* * *

David and the team followed the coordinates.

"We're very close to the location now!" he informed. Then, the team saw an aardvark hole on the ground. "Here we are."

"Not a surprise for us. In the Aardvark Town adventure, we've seen many creatures that live in abandoned aardvark homes."

"Hey, there's something white under those lines of bushes," Clarissa noticed. The Kratt in white was in ball form under the brush of bushes.

"Ventus?" David called.

"Go away… Leave this terrible person alone..."

"Terrible? You?" Aviva asked. " _Cariño_ , what did those two tell you?"

"Don't blame them, Aviva!" Mina intervened. "Guys, I'll lead with him. You go check the hedgehogs you found." David and Elsa agreed, taking Needle with them.

"She's right. It's all my fault… now leave me here, alone," he said, with a hint of anger, his quills shaking.

"No, Ventus! It's NOT your fault!" Mina took a deep breath to answer him. "They were pretty stern with you these past few days, I know, but it doesn't mean that's the end of your partnership forever." She knelt to try talking to him. "I've been with them for a long time, and for all that time, I can guarantee that they don't always mean what they say when they're mad." Ventus looked over his shoulder. "They know that you're not that mean person they said you are. You also did say some mean stuff when you went all berserk in those past incidents with you-know-who, right?"

"... Yes?"

"You were angry with your emotions flowing high. Most times, this just happens and we pretty much don't have control over it. Trust me, I know." Mina looked over to Aviva. "Look, the point is that they love you, and it's not a silly scold that'll change this, okay?" Ven's quills stopped shaking.

"What have you been eating? Your brain's bigger than your body," Jimmy commented, impressed. Koki bumped his chest with her elbow.

"It's them! It's them!" Elsa called. "The hedgehogs ARE Needle's family!" Her head popped out of the hole and Needle and two young hedgehogs were on top of it. "Although they look a little older for hedgehog pups. Or is it kits or piglets?" The older members chuckled.

"Considering they were separated by a long-time occurred event, no wonder they're older now," Koki thought.

"Oh, no," Mina gasped, as she looked around. "Those troublemaker lions are back!" She saw the creatures looking around. "And they're might be looking for something."

The hedgehogs shivered in fear.

"Not something… someone!" Elsa got the message.

" **Elsa may be right. I've scanned the area around here, and there is a bunch of lion fur in it. Apparently, those two have been trying to catch them for a long time,"** M.A.T.I. warned.

"Lions do eat us!" Needle shouted in fear. "They know they're not supposed to mess with quills, but they just never give up!" This called Ventus's attention. The lions then saw the team and the hedgehogs.

"Oh, no!" Elsa gasped. Mina covered her eyes in fear.

"Oh no you don't!" Two balls of green and blue came rolling at the lions.

"Martin! Chris!" Mina smiled about seeing them.

"M.A.T.I. told us you were in trouble, and you found Ventus!" Chris said.

"Okay, you two! These are hedgehogs you are not going to catch! Go away!" Martin yelled at the wildcats. The lions growled at them. Ventus, seeing the whole situation, knew that he needed to do something.

But… he also thought about staying out, thinking they will lash out at him again. Then, again… Mina was right… they loved him no matter what... and so did he! But as soon as he got up, Martin stopped him.

"No… This time, we're protecting… It's the least we can do for someone that cared so much for us..." he said, with a smile. Ventus smiled back, with tears in his eyes.

Chris rolled over in spiny ball form at the major predators of the savannah. Martin followed in a few seconds. The lions continued to back up from the fast, spiky balls. The lions eventually retreated, wounded by the quills. The team celebrated the victory.

"Sorry, you predators, but these quills have eyes! Eyes to watch you two and Needle's family," Martin said. Aviva placed a special magnetic tag on Needle.

"Even though you're not threatened, we must take care of you," she proclaimed.

* * *

"Well, looks like Needle won't be feeling lonely anymore," David said. "He has someone to care for."

"And so do us," Chris said, smiling as he finally saw Ventus. "Guess it's time to end this story once and for all." Needle and David agreed. The two approached their hedgehog powered brother.

He then looked at his brothers, who felt unsure to say anything. Then, he suddenly hugged them both. This, for the three of them, meant more than words.

"Is it just me or are our adventures getting too emotional this s-" Koki covered her boyfriend's mouth.

"I think you've talked too much for today," Koki alerted.

 _David (voice-over): Needle did teach us the hedgehog's amazing abilities, but one particular thing he re-taught the Kratt Bros is that sometimes you need to accept people as they are, especially if you love them. It may take a while for the bros to FULLY forgive Ventus, I know, but for now… having the three of them close again is more than enough._

"Let's… never have something like this happen again…" Chris asked Ventus.

"I sure hope so, bro. I sure hope so," Ventus sighed. Unknown to them, Martin and Chris's shadows smiled at them.


	12. Episode 13: Something's in The Wind

Ventus searched all around for his brothers. It seemed like they've gone out without inviting him.

"Where are they?" Ventus groaned, searching for his little brothers. Then, he called for Aviva. " _Querida_? Have you seen my brothers?"

"Oh… they went to a secret meeting."

"They've been doing this secret meeting thing between them for a long time. I could join for them one day, couldn't I?"

"Don't worry, _cariño_ , I'm sure they didn't go too far." She sounded uneasy.

"You okay, Viva?"

"I'm alright. But you know they'll come back after a while."

"But you know how tricky it is to find them when they don't have their own Creaturepods with them." Suddenly, a blast of cold wind hit his face. "Uh, nevermind. I think I found them. Zap out."

* * *

"That's it... That's it..." he heard mumbling. Ven peaked over a bush. Martin and Chris were in a small clearing, and it looked like they were training. However... their earrings were nearly black.

Martin looked like he was really concentrating on a converged ball of water. Suddenly, he made it freeze with a snap of his fingers.

"No... Are they..." he mumbled in shock.

"Nice job!" Chris walked forward and the sisters applauded. "You're really getting the hang of it, bro!"

"Thanks. And so are you! After all that time with disturbed meditation, now you found your inner peace once more. And no more freaky nightmares, right?"

"At least those I know for certain is a bad dream." He nodded in agreement.

"I think I've seen enough!" Ventus yelled, revealing himself. His siblings froze in horror.

"Ven?!" Chris yelped. "Uh, how long were you sitting there?"

"Long enough to finally see where you two run off to. So this is what you've been doing?"

"Ven, this is the best control we've had for weeks," Martin tried to assure. "We're getting the hang of it."

"No, you two are not using them again. I forbid it."

"B-but Ven-"

"Do you already forget what Darkness did to me?! I pretty much killed both of you because of that… that… MONSTROSITY!" The brothers stepped back in fear. Ventus then felt a yank on his ear. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…"

"We need to talk. NOW," Aviva said sternly, as she pulled him. Ice and Thorn looked from behind the brothers.

* * *

Martin and Chris peeked through the door to find out what was going on.

"Aviva, don't you get it? Darkness is dangerous! Mom said th-"

"No it ISN'T! Those two haven't done anything wrong in any of their appearances. You're acting imprudently just based on your past! You have to let this go once and for all! THINGS CHANGED!"

"This isn't about the past, Aviva! I'm worried about their future! If anything happens to them thanks to those monst-"

"They're NOT monsters! The problem's not with them… it's with YOU!" Ventus gasped loudly.

"Ooo, right in the heart," Chris whispered, to which Martin nodded in agreement.

On prime impulse, he pushed Aviva away.

"Fine! Be like that! Don't blame me if they fall to Darkness!" Aviva stared in shock as he stomped away. Martin and Chris hid behind Jimmy's station, seeing their big brother's eyes glow silver intensely.

"And I thought he finally had let it go," Martin sighed.

"Me too, bro. But I guess, as they said, he needs to understand. The question is… how?"

* * *

Ventus punched the wall of his old room in Hermia's temple.

"Have I done SOMETHING WRONG?! How could THEY use THAT?!" he screamed, as he crushed everything he could see. "I tried helping them! I'm their big brother! I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING!"

As his tantrum started to end, he breathed in and out and laid down for a moment.

" **So… finally calmed down?"** he heard a very familiar voice.

"Huh? Who's there?" He immediately sat up.

 **"Just you."**

"Come out this instant!"

 **"Right behind you, genius."** Ventus turned around. His eyes widened in shock.

"Th-that's not possible… Y-you cannot be the same Black Storm-"

 **"Don't call me that,"** the dark entity said harshly. **"Just call me Storm. Please,"** he calmed himself. **"Can I... speak with my own bros?"**

"And do YOU have bros?"

" **Uh… hello? Ice and Thorn, remember?"**

"You don't even know them."

" **So? You didn't know Martin and Chris. You only knew them as Aqua and Terra."**

"... Good point." Ventus stood up. "But... why exactly are you so... calm?"

" **Look, I know what I did in the past, but trust me: that was not the real me. It was Chaos, remember?"**

"Didn't Chaos make you stronger?"

 **"No, he didn't. He only manipulated your fear into hatred. Therefore, it affected me too. Your fear of losing your loved ones... into hate for them."**

"Okay… so what exactly are you doing here?" Ventus didn't want to believe him, although a small part of him did. "Were you, like Chaos, locked inside my mind, instead of vanishing?"

 **"We all need Darkness, Ventus. But just like mom, you had forgotten that. And I'm trying to help you see."**

"See what?"

 **"The closer to light you are... the darker it gets behind you. Remember that."** He vanished, as Ventus heard a knock on the door.

"Ventus? Is everything alright?"

"Uh… yes, mom. I'm fine. Just… need to clean up this mess..." He looked around to see the mess he left due to his tantrum.

* * *

Returning to the human world, Ventus questioned himself if Black Storm, or Storm as he prefered to be called, was really there… or was he imagining that?

He entered the Tortuga carefully. Then, he saw no one was home.

" **Guess no one's here now. Neither your cute girlfriend..."** Storm reappeared nearby.

"Never mind me thinking it was a dream..." Ventus mumbled in irritation.

" **Oh, but it was not. I'm here talking to you, aren't I? As visible to you as the way you ignore the fact that your brothers lead better with their "new abilities" than you lead with me."**

"Don't put them into this!"

" **Why not? It's the truth. They've accepted their fears and found their way. You on the other hand... You don't even know what you fear so much... or how to face it."**

"Just leave me alone!" Ventus tried hitting him, then Storm disappeared, and the Multiplicator nearly fell off the station. Koki entered the room. She caught it.

"Whoa! Ventus, careful! You nearly broke the Multiplicator. Aviva's been working hard on fixing it, you know."

"But it wasn't me! I was…" He sighed. "I saw Black Storm."

"What? That's impossible. Black Storm is gone, remember?"

"But, he was…. I… uh, nevermind."

"Speaking of her, Aviva won't be wanting to see you for a while. Whenever she has a fight like that, she wants to get locked in the garage with her inventions."

"You know what happened?"

"We have cameras here, you forget? Besides, M.A.T.I.'s always online watching the HQ."

"Hm… right. I also don't feel like… speaking with Viva already..." Ventus sighed. "I'll… go for a walk. Where are Martin and Chris?"

"They're out with their girlfriends, and added that they wanted to be with someone who would understand them."

"What do they mean, "understand them"?"

"Ventus, you've broke their hearts. It was simply Strike 3 to them. They're trying to do right, and all you did was step on their hopes. I'm sorry, but… you've been a real jerk," Koki sternly answered.

"I didn't do anything wrong! They were using Darkness! And behind my back!" Ventus's tone started to get angry again. "The more they use it, the-"

"See? You're doing it again!" Koki stomped, interrupting him. "All based on past facts! For someone who has SUCH a perspective for the future… you are very trapped in your own past. And you even went as far as..." She left the room, sighing. "When you're ready to catch the "now" train, let me know."

Ventus glared at her as she left.

" **Wow. She can be mean when she wants to."** Storm appeared again.

"Where were you?!"

" **I was right here."**

"B-but… Koki, she… she didn't..." Ventus grunted loudly, holding his head, trying to understand what was going on. "Nevermind."

* * *

Meanwhile, not far from there, Ice and Thorn saw Martin and Chris with their girls.

" **Man… they look upset."**

" **All you-know-who's fault."**

 **"Thorn!"**

 **"Well, it's true!"**

" **Um… excuse me..."** Storm approached them. Ventus followed him.

 **"So... You're the infamous Black Storm. Doesn't look that bad if you ask me."**

 **"No... It's just Storm. What the world saw was me under Chaos's manipulation. That wasn't the real me. Or at least..."**

 **"The you that doesn't present fear,"** Thorn finished. **"We know."**

 **"No, you don't. It's because of Chaos all of this has happened. He... I practically killed them."**

 **"No, you didn't. They did this to themselves for the good of all they loved,"** Ice said.

"And what exactly are you doing here?" Ventus questioned.

" **We weren't ordered by Martin and Chris, so we're simply fooling around. Speaking of them, they're really upset with you, Ventus."**

"With me?"

" **Well, I don't blame them. You kinda, you know, threw all your anger out on them."**

"Hey! I was trying to do what's best for them. Is that so bad?"

 **"But we're not bad,"** Ice pointed out.

 **"I know we're not really bad!"** Storm yelled in frustration. Then, he sighed. **"But Mother Nature, she doesn't care about us. All she cares about is the Light. I've never believed in this practice of shunning one's Darkness. I mean, until today… when I saw you were really trying."** Ventus grunted in response and looked away.

 **"Wow… uh, thanks. But, Ventus, lashing out on others is just going to make it worse,"** Thorn said.

" **There's nothing else I can do. He's-** " Storm was saying until he was interrupted.

"I'm not losing them again." Ventus turned his back to them, and Storm stared at them.

" **Well, we tried,"** Ice sighed, returning to Martin. Thorn stayed silent before retreating to Chris.

 **"Thank you,"** Storm said quietly. Laura and Tania looked back to see only Ventus there.

"Ventus?" He walked away, seemingly not hearing them.

* * *

Ventus sighed in his hammock, locked in a room.

" **Why are you not listening?"** Storm wanted to know. " **It's not so hard to understand, Ventus."**

"Go AWAY!" The Kratt in white threw a kick at him, but his foot only hit air… and the shelf where Aviva's tools were. "Oh Zeus! Aviva is gonna be ticked!"

"Not as ticked as before, but still..." Ven froze, then slowly turned around to see the team staring at him.

"Hey, where'd' he go?" He saw that Storm disappeared once more.

"VK... we had a meeting and… we're really worried about you," Koki said.

"Guys, there's nothing wrong with me. I'm telling you, Black Storm is-"

"Black Storm is gone, Ventus," David pointed out. "G-O-N-E. Either you're dreaming awake or you're going... the C word."

"I am NOT going crazy! I know I saw him!"

He felt a cold slap on his neck. It was a long thread of what seemed to be snow. It went back to the Kratt in blue.

"Not another word," Martin said sternly. "Ventus, I don't think we can handle more of this paranoia."

"It's not only affecting you, but all of us!" Chris told him. "I fear you… you have to be punished." He took his CPS and gave it to Aviva.

"No! You don't understand! It's not me! It's Black Storm!"

"He's GONE, Ventus!" the girls snapped.

"I told you, he's going the C w-"

"I'M NOT CRAZY! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! YOU'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Ventus had enough, and showed this, by bringing out his wind wings and blowing everyone off their feet. Then, he gasped as he saw everyone seemingly unconscious. "No… No..." he muttered, flying away.

" **Uh… guess that wasn't a good idea,"** M.A.T.I. commented, as the team stood up.

"You think?" David mumbled, ironically. Then, they heard a silent sobbing in front of them. There, in front of them, was Storm.

" **I failed… I failed..."**

"No..." Aviva gulped. "It can't be..." Before another word could be said, Ice and Thorn hurried to him.

" **It IS him. Black Storm… now merely Storm, Ventus's Darkness. I'm sorry we haven't told you earlier, but..."** Thorn started.

"We were very hurt, and we wouldn't listen to you, right?" Martin commented. Storm refused to make eye contact.

"So Ventus WAS speaking the truth..."

" **Yes… and no. Storm did appear, but he wasn't the cause of the problems Ventus had today,"** Ice answered.

"He wasn't?" Koki questioned. "I did think that he was throwing a huge tantrum earlier."

 **"That's the problem. The worse Ventus feels about his past as Black Storm, the more it'll hurt for both of us!"** Storm explained.

"Wow, and I thought Zach had weak spirits," Clarissa commented.

" **I tried to warn him… to help both of us… but his paranoia reached a point that he's losing his sense of right and wrong."**

"Yes… this we can say for ourselves," Chris commented.

" **I fear I can't do anything for him now..."**

" **Maybe not alone… but with us, brother, you can."** Ice placed his shadowy hand on Storm's shoulder, and looked at everyone around them.

* * *

Ventus was on the Tortuga's ceiling, still shocked by what just happened.

"Wh-why...?" he muttered. The wind blew around him. "I-I'm right… Storm's trying to get in my head, right? He's trying to gain my trust to turn me against my brothers again, right? So… why does it hurt?"

"Ventus, stop! JUST STOP!" Martin's scream was heard. He turned around to see the team staring at him.

"S-stop? What?"

"Not letting go, that's what," Koki said. "You're so stuck in the past that you're not thinking of the future."

"If you keep bringing it back to you, it'll hurt for you… and for him!" Aviva pointed at Storm. Ventus glared at him, and on an impulsive action, grabbed his wrist. The wind blew around.

"See? I was right all along! I told you he was-!"

"No! HE was NOT the cause! He was trying to help you!" Chris tried reaching his brother. "We were right when we said this paranoia was getting to us too, but it was mainly getting to you!"

"Ventus, we're your friends! Your family! We want to help, but you gotta let us!" Aviva said. Ven kept pressing Storm's wrist with his strength. The wind blew harder.

"I don't need your help!" he yelled, tears in his eyes. "No one CAN help! Don't you understand?!"

"We do understand… but do YOU understand?!" Chris's eyes had tears. "Black Storm would NOT want help, but he's GONE! You're not the person you were before, and Storm's here to prove it!" Ventus's tears kept falling.

"He's here for you! We all are! Please, try to see this." Martin felt like crying. Ice comforted him. "Storm isn't a punishment... He's your guide… to show what you're afraid of."

Ven saw Ice and Thorn comforting their crying fellows, while the team felt scared about the wind and the situation. He saw himself hurting Storm's wrist and took a deep breath, pulling them both from the Tortuga's ceiling.

"VENTUS!" the team screamed in horror.

Time seemed to stop for a moment. And Elsa wasn't even using her powers. Ventus opened his eyes for a brief moment, and saw Storm with a warm, tearful smile.

" **Thanks..."** he whispered as their hands touched each other.

Before the team could move, there was a large flash of light with a bit of black in it. When they looked up, there with his wings bigger and with some black "feathers", was Ventus, without any bruises and with some tears still falling.

"Ventus?" Chris called. The Kratt in white looked at them, the fierce wind ceasing and replaced with a breeze.

The brothers immediately rushed to hug him, knowing their brother needed them more than ever. His wings vanished into light, except a single black and white feather that fell to the ground.

* * *

The next day, Ventus helped the team clean up all the mess he left. He finished throwing the garbage in the trash bin.

"Ventus…" Martin called his attention. "Now I do forgive you." He gave Ventus back his CPS, receiving back a smile. A volley ball fell from the opened roof and hit Ventus on the head.

"Hello? We're all waiting for the hero of the story, you know," Aviva announced. Martin gave her the "icy stare", making her chuckle nervously. Then, he patted her on the head, making her sigh in relief.

Ventus (voice-over): _Kinda ironic… what I thought was the problem became the solution. So simple, yet so hard. But this talkative wind waker can translate it._

The three of them left the Tortuga to rejoin the team, and Ventus followed them, but not before he picked up the feather from before, attached to a string.

 _Five simple words: my past is not today. *giggle* Just a different way to say that we can all move forward… even me._

He looked back to his shadow, and it gave him a smile, as it left to join its siblings. A trio of siblings was reunited… and a happy family too.


	13. Episode 14: Lies in the Light

Otto arrived at Amelia's cabin with someone trapped inside a bag.

"You found her?" Amelia wanted to know.

"Precisely." The commander pulled a small figure out of the bag by their arm.

"I heard about your specific abilities. Are they true?"

"Y-yes..." the silhouette said, in a shy female voice.

"Good. You will definitely be of use to me."

"J-just please... keep your promise not to hurt them..."

"This… I can't promise," Amelia said, with a poisonous voice.

* * *

Today was another calm day in the park. Well, most people were calm in the park. At the moment, Martin and Chris were with Martin's future son-in-laws, watching Gavin fishing.

"These magnetic tags Aviva invented are surely better than hooks," he said, letting go of the fish he caught.

"Are you two sure you're okay? Because you've been kind of fidgety," Ronan wondered.

"We're fine, Gavin. Just feeling a bit out of place. I mean look at us. Black stripe and an earring." Martin pointed to the feature and accessory.

"I think they're cool," the younger boy said. "So… are you and Ventus… still not talking?"

"Not anymore. We finally put that behind."

Someone suddenly ran into Gavin, knocking his fishing rod out of his hand. The person was a teenage girl, well, at least looked like a teenager. She had dropped some kind of sketchbook and quickly picked it up.

"I'm so sorry! I'm really clumsy!" the young girl apologized with a bow of respect. Before the bros could respond, she dashed off into the forest. They were only able to see her tye-dye red, orange and yellow dress and her green, blue and violet hair.

"Who was that?" Martin asked.

"I don't know. I've never seen her around here before," Gavin said.

"Maybe she just moved," Ronan guessed.

"And she dropped something," Martin pointed out. He picked up a sparkly, rainbow pen with a clay WK symbol on the end.

"Maybe she's a fan," Chris thought.

"And it's a nice pen. We better find her and return it to her," Martin smiled.

"It's the right thing to do," Chris agreed. Then, they looked at it, and something flashed inside their minds. Like… some kind of memory.

"Wait… I know that girl."

"You do?" Gavin asked.

"Yeah… I know her too." Chris smiled. "It's an old friend of ours!"

"Old friend? Are you sure? I mean... she looked pretty young."

"Well, we remember her," Martin assured. "Now we better put this in a safe place."

* * *

In the Tortuga, Aviva cleaned everything in the HQ.

"All done. Spent the whole morning, but I finally cleaned up the whole HQ." Then, she saw Jimmy and his little brother entering. "Hey, Jimmy. Hi, Jake. How were things in the game trade convention?"

"A success! The controllers we sold gave enough money for us to help mom pay the bills!" Jake cheerfully said.

"That's great to hear!"

"Yeah… mom's job has been disappointing, so we gotta do what we can."

Martin and Chris stepped in, and placed the pen on Aviva's desk.

"Wow… where did you get this pen? It's so pretty," Mina wondered.

"An old friend of ours dropped it, and we're giving it back to her."

"Why, that's really nice." Mina smiled. "What's her name?"

"It's... Um..." Chris tried to remember. "Well, it's a little blurry now. Guess it's because we haven't seen her for a long time."

"Hm… that makes sense. Though I sense that something is going on here."

Then, the Tortuga's screen rang. Someone was calling.

"Amelia?!"

"How does she know our number?" Koki wondered.

"My boyfriend gave it to me," the geneticist answered.

"Oh… right."

"Anyway… you might be interested in this!" she pointed out to that girl from before, tied to a tree with Predators facing her.

"Hey! What are you doing to our old friend?!" Chris snapped.

"Oh… she's an old friend of yours? Even better," she snickered. "Okay, I want you all to come to this place, so we can negotiate. Her for a few certain stones. Go by the name of... the Elemental Crystals."

The team gulped. Meanwhile, David and Elsa thought they knew that girl from somewhere as well.

* * *

The team followed the exact coordinates from Amelia's call.

"Can't believe Amelia got our number from Klaus. And he probably got it from Donita, because SOMEONE called us when they got captured by her," Aviva accused.

"Hey! Don't blame me!" Martin snapped. "How would I know she was around when we were seeing draco lizards?"

"Anyway, I know now that we really need to change our number," Aviva took note.

"So what's the deal about the pen?" Jimmy wondered.

"We made this for her." Martin held out the pen. "She was moving away, and this was our goodbye present to her."

"We haven't seen her since we started our solo creature adventures," Chris added. "Oh, she was such a cute little girl…"

"She was a little girl? How do you know it's her then?" Koki wondered.

"She's older now. But we'd recognize that hair anywhere. She's always kept it that way," Chris explained.

"Okay… but what was her name again?" Mina wondered.

"Hmmm... Uh..." Chris tried to recall.

"Um... It's there, I know it is..." Martin mumbled. "I think it was Chloe. Yes, definitely Chloe."

"Chloe... I've heard that before..." David muttered. "Her hair, her name... What's her last name?"

"Hm… I guess it was... Chromosome, no..."

"Chroma?" Elsa gasped.

"That's it. Wait, you know her too?" Chris asked.

"We do, but her name is just Chroma," David stated. "Chloe is just an alias she goes by among humans. She's a Light Nymph."

"Like me?" Mina asked.

"No, just a normal Light Nymph."

"Normal Light Nymph?" Koki questioned.

"Yes… Light Nymphs have mental influences, like Mina can bring hope to others. But normal Light Nymphs can erase, add and even change people's memories, some going as far as mind control itself. However… it was never heard from many of them that lived long enough to tell it themselves."

"You mean… they're SHORT-LIVED nymphs?" Aviva gulped.

"Depending on how intensely their power is used… yes."

"Oh, dear… we MUST find her!" Elsa exclaimed. "Who knows what Cutter is making her do! She could be manipulating one of our minds right this instant!"

"Or... manipulating our memories," Ven said in realization.

"Now wait a second!" Martin retorted. "Our memories of Chloe are real!"

"What proof do you have that they're real?" David questioned. "You didn't even "remember" her name until we started discussing this."

"But..." Chris couldn't argue with logic, and neither could Martin.

"Alright. When we rescue Chroma, we'll ask her for the truth," Martin decided. "Things ARE pretty confusing."

 **"We are landing now,** " M.A.T.I. informed.

* * *

The team looked around the clearing. Amelia and her Predators were nowhere to be seen. Then, they heard someone coming.

"Something's coming…" David summoned his crossbow. "I'm ready."

"Wait! Don't shoot!" a young voice called. The girl from before ran around the corner.

"Chroma!" Elsa exclaimed in relief.

"Chloe!" the bros exclaimed. The young girl looked at the brothers with teary silver eyes. She forced a smile.

"You're safe!" Chris said, hurrying over to her.

"We missed you!" Martin added.

"It is you, Chroma," David said in shock, his weapon vanishing.

"But how did you get free?"

"T-that's not important! We gotta run! She must be around here somewhere!" Chroma feared.

"Right. Priorities first. Let's hurry to the Tortuga. Pronto."

* * *

The Tortuga took off at full speed. Inside of it, The Kratt Bros took their time to speak with "Chloe".

"So… you always wanted to shine?" Martin wondered.

"Yes… always. Shine as bright as a star in the sky. Feel important. Like my sisters, before…. they were gone."

"Oh, your sisters are gone? We're so sorry for this," Martin said. "Oh, and sorry if we don't remember you ever telling us in the past."

"Oh, speaking of the past. You dropped this." Chris handed her the pen. "Thanks to it, we remembered you."

"Th-thanks..." With shaky hands, she received the pen.

"Hey, I just noticed," Jimmy said. "She doesn't look hurt. Wouldn't the rope have left burns?"

"Um..." Chloe felt unsure.

"Maybe she took it off without Amelia noticing," Chris suggested. "I mean, no offense, but look at her. She's really skinny."

"Brothers, I don't think that's what happened," Ventus stated in a serious tone. "First, because Amelia has practically eyes on the back of her head. Second, her Predators would've been on guard, so she would've at least had a scratch. Third, by coincidence, Amelia had her in the first place. "

"But they're really ingenious too."

"Please... d-don't fight..." Chloe feared.

"We're not fighting, Chloe. We're arguing. That's different," Martin said. She gripped her dress.

"Don't call me that…. please... I don't… deserve this…"

"What? What do you mean you don't deserve this? It's our honor code to help anyone in need. Especially old friends." Chris smiled.

"I... I was never... I…" Chroma started sobbing, and rushed to the Tortuga's shell.

"Poor thing... she must be traumatized or something like that..." Chris felt worried.

"No… actually looks like she's not telling us something," Elsa said. "Chroma never was the best at explaining."

"Now, look here! She's too nice to be a liar!" Martin pointed out.

"I'm not saying she's a LIAR!" Elsa shrieked. "I'm just saying she appears to be hiding something very bad for us. Maybe even worse than being held captive by Amelia."

Then, they heard Chroma's shriek.

"Chloe?!" The brothers hurried to the roof. They found her sprawled and fainted on the floor. And flying above them, Amelia's plane.

"Well, well, well, look what we've got here! The pixie made everything work perfectly!" she proclaimed, sending her Predators to surround the team. They started attacking the Tortuga, and biting on its paws.

" **We have damage on the wings! We're going to fall!"** M.A.,T.I gasped. Jimmy rushed to the Tortuga's head, trying to land where it was safe. However, the HQ landed hard on the ground.

* * *

The team woke up, with the inside of the ship a wreck.

"Ugh… everyone okay?" Koki asked. Then, she looked to see the bat box fallen. "I'm glad Bites's passing the time with Artemis now."

"We're okay," Chris assured. "Chloe?"

"I'm alright," she said quietly.

"Guys, we're surrounded!" Jimmy yelped. The Predators were right outside, but they had stopped charging at the ship's wing.

"I don't get it. The Predators are not coming in," Martin muttered. "It's like they're avoiding us."

"Or maybe... Amelia ordered them not to hurt someone in here," David realized.

"Why would Amelia care about anyone that's not Klaus?" Sam questioned.

"Sh-she doesn't..." Chroma timidly said, tears in her eyes again. She moved some of her hair. The team gasped. It was an earring like tracking device.

"Wh-what? Chloe, you were tagged?"

Chloe didn't even answer in fear.

"Sister, please… tell us," Elsa told her.

"Chloe is not-" Martin was saying, until...

"Stop calling me that!" Chroma finally shrieked, with tears coming down her face. She had finally enough of that all. "I can bare it no more! I'm not your old friend, Chloe! You NEVER had an old friend Chloe! She's made up!" she sobbed loudly.

"I knew it… as any Light Nymph's able to do, she… manipulated your minds, filling it with false memories," David concluded.

"So... we never really met her?" Chris gasped.

"We were never friends..." Chroma admitted. "Never..."

"I'm sorry, David. And you too, Elsa. You were right." Martin looked down, ashamed for yelling at them like that.

"It's okay, dude. I can understand you were very confused," David said, leaving it clear there were no hard feelings.

Their chat was interrupted by Chroma's uncontrollable sobbing. She had enough of that.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." she weeped. "I was forced to do this by her..."

The team just watched, still feeling bad for her. There WAS something way worse happening. Chroma took a deep breath before explaining what was going on for real.

" _She found out somehow where I lived in secret. I was distant from other nymphs and from Mother Nature because I wanted to keep my powers and my life yet… well, here. I didn't want to go away like my sisters did._

" _When she found me, she told me about the Nature Guardians, and that David and Elsa were now part of the team. She threatened me, saying that if I didn't change your memories and confuse you, she would destroy Gaia's Tree and the Guardians along with it. I couldn't let either of those happen, even if I was trying to live as long as I could."_

"You did what she told you to protect the Tree and us..." Koki understood. "You did this to save lives… and even you didn't know the true consequences." The colorful nymph slowly nodded, not making eye contact.

"I'm so sorry, Guardians. I'm sorry _everyone_. I have betrayed my own people… my mother… the _planet_..." Chroma's eyes flinched, as more tears fell from them. Chris and Martin looked at each other.

"False memory or not, we won't let you get harmed anymore," Chris said heroically.

"W-what?" Chroma looked up in surprise.

"You're our friend! Now our REAL friend!" Martin declared. "You did lie to us, but you had a good reason. In your place, probably we would do the same… but one thing you should know about friends is that is NEVER too late to start over. No matter which kind of friend you're leading with."

The Light Nymph couldn't help but tear up and smile.

"Chroma… we'll be your friends, and we'll get you out of this situation. We promise," Chris assured.

"Awww, that's so sweet! Even though all she did was tell lies, you still try to save her!" Amelia fakes some tears, appearing at their doorstep. "Too bad this can't reach that poor cold as stone heart."

"You're the one with a cold heart, putting her in this situation!" Martin snapped.

"You threatened to destroy the Tree if she didn't do your demands!" David yelled. "You didn't give her a choice!"

"Ack! Enough talking! How powerful are her mind abilities again?" Amelia asked. The Light Nymph turned to her, somewhat angrily. "Like… able to change or even… ERASE memories?"

The team gasped, knowing exactly what Amelia was planning.

"So THAT'S your plan: you'll erase our memories, so we don't recall our own mission and lives!" Ventus realized. "You were using my brothers' memories as a test of her abilities!"

"Not bad for being the birdbrain brother."

"You're a cold-hearted beast, you know that?" Aviva shouted.

"Thank you, but kindness will not save you now, Air Guardian," Amelia proclaimed. "Pixie, destroy them! Erase their memories for good! Make them fear me! If you don't want me to destroy everything you Light Nymphs are sworn to protect, do it!"

Chroma looked down in fear. Then, she looked up at her new friends. If they could do anything to help her, even leave behind such a bad deed… so could her.

"No…" Chroma felt her head accumulating energy like crazy, from her fear and hatred.

"What did you say?" Amelia stared at her.

"C-Chroma?" David asked. Her hair started becoming white.

"NOOO!" Her fury finally exploded, in the form of a powerful force field. "I was afraid of failing the ones I cared for... I was afraid of dying too soon to be recognized… but you used me so you could get them out of your way, and that's even worse!" Her voice was distorted, as her eyes glowed white.

"Chroma!" David saw her eyes flinching in pain.

"If I wished, I could destroy you right now..." But then, the nymph relaxed her powers, as she read the team's minds. "But certainly my new friends would not approve this. They believe all life deserves to be protected. So I'll respect this."

"Chroma?" Martin feared.

"Your plan shall not be continued anymore!" Her eyes glowed even more, as she lifted her arms. She became surrounded by a circle of light. "No more barriers! No more lies!" She flinched as she concentrated all her might into undoing all the damage she caused.

Soon, the Kratts' memories started to return to normal. Then, Chroma sent a force field in Amelia's direction, sending her away.

" _Ich komme wieder,_ Wild Kratts!" Amelia sweared, as she disappeared. With the last of the memories restored, Chroma felt herself weaken, as she floated back to the floor.

David rushed to hold her. Chroma woke up slowly, really weak, having spent the last of her strength in that psychic outbreak. It soon started to softly rain.

"C-Chroma?"

"I… I'm sorry. I wish that… I wasn't forced to do all that I did…"

"We're sorry as well," Chris said to the team. "To all of you. We were too rushed to know the truth."

"Please… don't… we'll find a way..." David begged Chroma, as the girl's strength seemed to end. "You can't..."

"David, it's okay. I'll meet my sisters... all of them… I'll be happy… truly happy now that I really had friends..." she said and then coughed. "Kratt Brothers… keep it..." She took out the pen. "As a reminder of how you helped me...

"It was what allowed me to influence your memories. But its power goes far beyond this… I have no doubt you can find out how to use it for the right reason." The bros nodded, tears at the corners at their eyes.

"Thanks… friend." Martin smiled.

"I've seen… amazing things since I left my hideout… things that perhaps my sisters may have seen too… why haven't I joined them when I had the opportunity?" She smiled with happy tears. "All those moments and regrets will be lost… in time… like… tears in rain… Time to go," she said as she slowly closed her eyes for the very last time. Her body eventually glowed, and the light she became headed to the sky.

David bit his lip, trying to hold back his tears, as much as the team.

* * *

Some days later, on that same place where Chroma disappeared, the crew reunited.

"She did some things that none of us could understand." David was giving a speech. "Gifted with tremendous power… and cursed with it as well. An unknown, yet known good friend. One of the bravest people I have ever known."

He placed a flower under a quartz statue made by Chris. "Thank you, sister Chroma… for everything you have done for all of us."

David's sadness was now being reflected onto the team's sadness. Chris handed him a telescope, with such amazing color and style.

"We're sorry again for acting like that… It didn't really make sense… after all, her past with us wasn't real..." Chris sighed.

"She cared for all of us, enough to defeat Amelia, ands save the Elemental Crystals. THAT was real," Clarissa pointed out.

"Yeah… you're right," Chris agreed. David smiled at his girlfriend. Then, they all looked at the sky, and saw a star appearing in a small space in the sky, where there were no stars.

"Chroma..."

"A place to shine..." David gave them a weak smile. "All she ever wanted..."

"She deserves it," Mina chuckled. "She SO deserves it."

" **Looks like we got ourselves a very special guiding star,"** MA.T.I. said. " **It's pointing right to where we first saw her."**

The team looked up, with comforted smiles.

 _Elsa (voice-over): We will remember, for real, about our brave friend, Chroma, but not as a liar Light Nymph, but as a heroine… our heroine. And about Amelia… let's just say she gave us ANOTHER reason to prevent her intents of beginning a Predator War._

Meanwhile, far away from there, Klaus was bandaging Amelia's wounds, as she sobbed, as Otto simply watched.

"I was so close… so close..." Amelia cried.

"I hear you, darling. I hear you," Klaus assured. "They will all pay someday."


	14. Episode 15: Pinnipeds in Peril

The Tortuga swam through the cool waters of the Pacific coast of Canada. David stared out at the sea, a solemn look on his face. He still felt bad about Chroma, and wished the team could have saved her.

"Turn that frown upside down, matey! We're going up!" Aviva informed. She was dressed in her pirate captain costume. The Tortuga came out of the water.

"Land ho!" Mina, with Elsa warned. The two came up to the shell.

"Seals ahoy!" Martin in his buccaneer costume announced.

"Weigh anchor, argh!" Chris decreed. "Let's put this ship near land!"

"Aye aye!" Jimmy replied, landing the shop near the herd. The kids and teens chuckled at the childish antics.

"Ya dare laugh at us, ya sea pups?" Aviva playfully scolded.

"Ha-argh! We will have you walk the plank!" Ventus, dressed as a first mate, added.

"Okay, okay… but you're coming with me!" Mina pulled Martin close and jumped into the water.

"That was fun! Let's do it again!" Martin chuckled. Then, they heard a bark.

"Huh?" Mina looked behind. A baby sea lion was nearby them. "Aww… how cute!"

"A baby sea lion is here, guys!"

"Sea lion? I was sure it was a seal."

"Shiver me timbers, there's both of these blubbery creatures on this beach!" Chris pointed out. "Look at how many seals!"

"Actually, there are both seals and sea lions," Martin explained.

"What's the difference?" Mina asked. "The newbie in creatures here wants to know..."

"They're two different species," Chris said. "But they're both from the Pinniped family."

"Pinniped?" Ventus asked. "Sounds familiar..."

"It means "fin foot" in Latin, because they both have flippers for feet," Martin translated.

"Oh, that's right. Sorry, guess my Latin's getting rusty."

"But if you pay close attention, you'll notice that sea lions and seals DO have some differences between them," Martin explained.

"Sea lions can hold their heads up higher than seals, and they have small flaps for ears."

"Seals are more low to the ground and you can't really see their ears that well."

"Sea lions are loud."

"Seals vocalize with grunts, but are quieter."

"Sea lions can "walk" by rotating their flippers, and are more social, living in huge herds."

"Seals are less social, often solitary, and are more aquadynamic, so they crawl on land."

"So they sound different, look different and act different," David summarized.

"Sounds like the Crocogator Contest adventure all over again," Koki commented.

"I was thinking more of the Bass Class adventure," Jimmy pointed out. "You know, for the pointing out thing."

"Okay, I got it. Both Pinnipeds, but not exactly the same," Mina said. "So this little SEA LION is from that herd?"

"Yup. He came swimming from that direction." Martin pointed to the herd.

"Then this little guy, a seal, is from the herd down there," Elsa pointed out. A baby seal was with her.

"Wow, I don't ever think I've seen a seal and a sea lion so close before," Martin said. "We can see that due to the neck and ability, the sea lion is a bit bigger than the seal."

"Where are their moms?" Chris wondered.

"Follow-up question: what name should we give them?" Mina wondered. The baby seal started swimming around Elsa.

"Look at the flipping ability this buddy has. So I'll call him... Flip."

"Flip?" Martin asked. Then, the seal swam around him. "Any animal can flip in the water."

"And the sea lion with the flippy-flappy paws is Flap," Mina said. "Flip and Flap, the Pinnipeds."

"Okay, have it your way," Martin gave up. He couldn't say no to his little sister.

"Despite smelling a little, they are so cute," Elsa commented, cuddling the furry seal pup.

"Speaking of smell, look at their muzzles. They both have whiskers, like walruses," Mina analyzed.

"Yeah, but seals have crimped whiskers, and sea lions have longer and smoother whiskers," Chris pointed out.

"So much things sea lions and seals have of different… I can't keep myself! Gotta program some Creature Power suits!" Aviva decided. "Both Seal and Sea Lion!"

"Alright!" the bros cheered.

"Oh, no!" Mina gasped.

"Why? I thought you liked them."

"I like them, but not THAT!" She pointed out to storm clouds. The brothers gasped. The pups rushed to the nymphs' arms.

"Whoa, easy there, pups," Elsa tried to calm them down. "You'll be alright. We'll just get you to your moms and-"

"Elsa, incoming wave!" Mina feared. Flap started to swim away in fear. "Flap, wait!" She began swimming after the pup.

"Mina, come back! It's not safe!" Martin called.

"Martin, come on, it's almost here!" Aviva yelled. Mina reached the sea lion pup before he could hit a rock.

"Gotcha."

"Mina, look out!" Elsa warned. Too late: the wave crashed over the Tortuga HQ, covering the two nymphs.

"Elsa!" David screamed.

"Mina!" Martin and Chris gasped. As the wave disappeared, they saw the two were gone.

* * *

Carried by the water, Elsa struggled to find Mina and keep her body from drowning. She soon found the younger nymph nearly drowning, and swam to her direction, picking her up and placing her arm around her shoulder.

"Sister, are you okay?"

"*cough* I think so… But I don't think I can swim anymore..." Then, the two saw something under the sea, right beyond them. "What's that?"

"I don't know, but we better find a place to stay quick!" Elsa looked around. "There! That cave looks safe." Then, she saw the thing beyond them approaching quickly.

This made her swim as fast as she could to the cave, and the thing jumped over the water, revealing it to be an orca.

Luckily, Elsa reached the exact place just in time, gently placing Mina on the floor, as the girl coughed some more water out of her lungs.

"Thanks, sister."

"No problem. But I fear we can't go anywhere now," Elsa said, as she saw the orca leaving.

"Well, at least we're safe. And our Creaturepods are water proof," Mina pointed out, as she tried call her brothers. "Oh, I can't reach the H.Q. The thunderstorm is messing up the signal."

Then, they both heard a noise coming from deeper inside the cave. Flip and Flap had been carried by the wave with them.

"Aww… Looks like we're not the only castaways here."

"These poor little pups." Mina crawled to them. "Your families must be as worried as ours." Then, a thunderclap was heard, scaring the pups. "Don't worry, sweeties. We'll take care of you."

"Mina's right. The most important now is that we all remain together," the Time Nymph pointed out, then she stared at the thunderstorm. "I only hope they can find a way to find us..."

* * *

Back in the Tortuga, the team was worried sick about the situation.

"How could I let Mimi and Elsa get caught in that current?" Martin lamented.

"Come on, it's not your fault. We really weren't expecting that," Ventus comforted him. "What matters now is finding them."

"Are you sure you can't find even the slightest signal?" David asked the A.I. in so much worry.

 **"Yes, their Creaturepods can't get through wherever they're at."**

"If only we could scan the skies..."

"The storm won't let up for another hour," Koki said. "I only hope they found somewhere safe to stay..."

" **Well, there is a slight possibility that a cave is nearby this thunderstorm,"** M.A.T.I. pointed out. " **And according to the direction of the wave that hit the Tortuga, I believe they didn't go that far."** However, this comment didn't make the big brothers feel better.

"Thanks for trying," Aviva said.

* * *

Inside the cave, Mina and Elsa tried to warm themselves by making a fire. The Time Nymph had it a little easy since Flip was covered in fur.

"No fair," Mina pouted. "You got the furry, warm one? No offense, Flap." She caressed the sea lion pup. Then, she sneezed.

"Mina?"

"Ugh… guess I got a cold due to all that cold water." She sniffled. "My health's really fragile sometimes."

"Well, try to warm yourself." Elsa felt bad about her sister, and brought Flip close to her. Then, she saw the pups' faces.

"They look hungry. What do seals and sea lions eat? And do they eat the same stuff?" Mina wondered.

"I would think so since they live in the same environment," Elsa said. "I heard once from the brothers that it's called convergence."

"What does that mean?"

"I think they said it's when two different species in the same environment evolve with similar features. Of course, that's the science way."

"And why do seal pups have fur in the first place?" Mina asked.

"According to the brothers, a warmth reason, and also the reason why they're so chubby."

Then, both Flip and Flap saw something on the water outside the cave. Then, as a small wave hit the front of it, it brought two fish.

"Talk about luck," the hybrid commented. Their two Pinniped friends grabbed each other a fish.

"So both are carnivorous?" Elsa wondered. "We never would've guessed."

"They're in the same family. How WOULD we not guess?" The sisters chuckled.

"Hey, the storm's calming," Mina noticed. "Guess we can try calling the team again?"

"Let's use the time we have, before it starts to rain hard again," Elsa suggested. Mina tried to hold firmly her Creaturepod, but her cold was getting her really tired. "Uh… I'll do it. Get some rest."

* * *

The team was heavily asleep, except for David and Martin. The Kratt in blue yawned, and David rubbed his tired eyes.

 **"You two should really get some sleep,"** M.A.T.I. insisted. **"It's really late. As a program, I'll be fine. You two on the hand could collapse any moment."**

"M.A.T.I. is right," Aviva said, having woken up. "Look, go to your hammocks and get some sleep. I'll take your turn."

"You're a good friend, Aviva Corcovado," Martin yawned. As they headed to their hammocks, M.A.T.I. got a message.

" **A message! With a photo,"** she started reading it. " **Guys, we're okay, both me and Mina, and the Pinnipeds. Sorry we couldn't call, but the storm is ruining our signal, so I could only send a message. Think you can get the coordinates from it and find us tomorrow, when the storm's gone? XO, Elsa."**

"Chris, wake up," Aviva whispered, shaking him lightly.

"Huh? W-what? What happened?"

"They're safe, and we can locate them now. But the storm's pretty heavy, so we'll have to get them tomorrow."

"*sigh* What a relief. I know someone that will be very happy to hear the good news." He said, with a smile before going back to sleep.

* * *

Morning arrived near the cave. It was still sprinkling a little outside. Elsa and Mina were deep asleep in the cave, and so were the baby animals.

The faint light of the sun woke up the hybrid.

"Elsa?" she whispered. "The storm's ending. And it's already morning."

"*yawn* Good morning, sister. And good morning to you two," Elsa told the Pinnipeds. "Wow, you look a lot better."

"Sometimes, rest helps me regain strength. Why do you think I take so many naps?"

"That sure explains a lot."

"Uh-oh," Mina said as she looked outside.

"Oh, I don't like it when you say that." Elsa looked to where Mina was looking ast. "*gasp* Oh, no! Killer whales!"

"Martin told me that they are predators for both seal and sea lions. Sharks can eat seals and sea lions too, but those guys are like main predators. There's no way we can go out now."

The nymphs gulped, only hoping the team received the message.

* * *

Woken up and ready to find their sisters, Martin and David wore their CPS.

"I'm so glad they're safe. Now all we need to do is go get them."

"And this might help. Seal and Sea Lion Disks are ready." Aviva gave them the newly-made disks.

 **"Hey, slow down or you might become breakfast,"** M.A.T.I. warned. " **I just checked the area that the message came from and killer whales were detected around that area!"**

"Orcas?!" the Kratts gasped.

"Uh, she said killer whales," Ven pointed out in confusion.

"Killer whale is just another name for orca," Martin explained. "Besides, orcas aren't even whales, they're dolphins! But either name, they eat seals and sea lions!"

"One more reason for us both to go!" David added. "Now we just need to touch the creatures and rush to the rescue."

"Uh, that won't be easy," Koki said. "M.A.T.I.'s radar shows that both herds had moved farther away during the storm."

"But something was left behind on the spot they were," Chris pointed out. "No matter if it's a tooth, a claw or some fur, it's good enough."

" **Affirmative,"** M.A.T.I. agreed. " **I'm sending the fishcams to collect DNA."** The intelligent program turned on the cameras, letting the team view the beach.

Chris's hypothesis was right: there was leftover seal fur and a sea lion tooth. " **Collected. Ready to activate, guys?"** The two gave her a thumbs up.

As the fish cams arrived, the boys touched the respective DNA.

"Activate Seal Powers!"

"Activate Sea Lion Powers!"

In a flash and a hurry, the two entered the water and started diving.

* * *

Mina and Elsa backed up in fear, as the orcas rounded up by the cave.

"They're definitely after our Pinniped friends," Mina whispered.

'It's sad that big animals mostly target the weak babies," Elsa replied, holding Flip closer to her.

"Well, unfortunately it's the life cycle," Mina said. "Oh, I wish Martin and David were here..."

"Mina!"

"Elsa!"

"Look! I see something coming!" Elsa saw something swimming in their direction, too small to be an orca. "Martin and David! They found us!"

"The orcas are all around the cave. We need to get them out of the way." David saw the situation.

"On it!" Martin swam close to the killer whale."Yoo-hoo! Hey, orcas! Why don't you snack on something else than our sisters?" The orcas saw the blue seal and followed it, as he swam away. Meanwhile, David in a grey sea lion suit approached the cave entrance.

"Anyone up for a ride?" He offered.

"We are." Elsa picked up Flip, and Mina picked up Flap.

"Uh, they can swim, girls, you forget?"

"I know, but they're so cute!" Mina said, hugging Flap. Then, they saw Martin, surrounded by orcas.

"Uh… needing some help here, guys!" Then, he felt himself getting floated out of the water...by Mina!

"Wow, resting does wonders to you, sister," Elsa pointed out, as she floated Martin to where they were. The orcas only left, too confused to understand what just happened.

"Thanks, sis. I'm so happy you're okay!" Martin said.

"Not as happy as I am to see you!" Mina rushed to embrace him.

"Good news, everyone: we have them here!" David informed the team via Creaturepod.

" **We also have some good news, David. Follow the coordinates and you'll see,"** M.A.T.I. told him.

* * *

The Tortuga was parked in the water, nearby another spot on land, where both herds of sea lions and seals were. Flip and Flap rejoined their mothers.

"Well, that's mission accomplished alright," Aviva said, as the team observed the herds. "We reunited Flip and Flap with their families and Mina and Elsa with us."

"And we also learned how cool two different species from the same family can be. Pinnipeds are awesome!"

"You can say that again, bro." Mnia smiled. "You think we can visit them again someday?"

"Well, not in this same point. These herds of creatures are constantly moving away."

"But since we have some data of Flip and Flap's herds on our computers, it'll be not a problem to find them again."

"You hear that? We can see either of you anytime," Elsa said to a returning Flip.

"Maties, no time to dilly dally now! We have another location in our aim!" Aviva, back in her pirate costume, called.

"Aye aye, captain!" Mina saluted. "Come on, Elsa!"

Elsa gave the furry cutie a kiss on the forehead and rushed to join the crew.

"Farewell, Pinnipeds! Until next time!" Martin commented, as the Tortuga took off to leave.


	15. Episode 16: Armadillo Bowling

Nearby a Florida upland, the team organized a small bowling tournament.

"This is going to be so fun!" Mina said, holding her bowling ball, however, with certain difficulty. "Oof… this is heavier than it seems."

"Yeah, the more mass in a bowling ball, the heavier it is," Chris explained, setting up the pins.

 **"Prepare to lose,"** M.A.T.I. challenged. Her bowling ball was turquoise with green blue swirls.

"I updated M.A.T.I. with all the known bowling techniques," Koki pointed out. "Good luck beating her."

"Okay..." Sam focused on the pins' direction. Then, with a hit of his tail (mixed with a wicked tae-kwan-do pose), five pins were knocked out.

"Wow! Nice shot, big guy!" Ventus celebrated.

"Way to use that tail, buddy!" David commented.

"Heh." Sam spun the bowling ball around with his tail as if it was a basketball on a professional's finger.

"Show off," Martin remarked, the mutant chuckling at his response. Nearby, unseen by the team, there was a curious muzzle sniffing around.

"Okay, dudes. My turn," Bite-Size announced, conjuring his bat wings, and spinning at a direction, seeing his ball strong enough to NEARLY knock all the pins down. "Booyah!"

The creature who was peeking at the team walked slowly behind the bushes, nearby the bowling balls.

"Hey! Can he do that?" Jimmy asked.

"Sam uses his tail, Bites use his wings. Pretty fair for me," Koki commented.

"Good to know," Ventus commented, as he prepared his own wind wings.

"What? But yours are made of mag-" Clarissa was pointing out, until Ventus spun around, sending lots of bowling balls at the pins. The creature eventually curled over.

"Woo-hoo!" Sam, Bites and Ventus celebrated. Chris and Martin got up.

"... Never mind," Clarissa muttered, facepalming.

"Oh, so this is _Magic_ Bowling now, is it, bro?" Martin asked.

"Just try and top that, little brothers," the dirty blonde challenged, creating a small spark of silver magic.

"Challenge. Accepted." The Kratt Bros created sparks of blue and green magic, joining their hands.

"Oh-ho-ho! I'm going to need more popcorn!" Jimmy rushed inside the Tortuga to get more bowls.

"Okay, okay, boys. Leave it first to the professionals," Koki said, aiming to catch her own orange bowling ball. Unknown to her, however, she caught something very different. "Huh?... Hey… that's no bowling ball."

"Nope," Chris confirmed. "It's-"

"A nine-banded armadillo!" the Kratt bros said at the same time.

"Uh, what? Did the bowling tournament already start?" Jimmy came over with bowls of popcorn enough for everyone.

"Actually, your girlfriend just grabbed a different kind of ball," Elsa chuckled. Koki showed Jimmy the armadillo in her arms.

"Curiously enough, contrary to popular belief, nine-banded armadillos can't actually curl into full-shaped balls," Chris corrected.

"Only one of the twenty-odd varieties of armadillos, the three-banded armadillo, is able to roll up. The other types are covered with too many bony plates to allow them to curl up," Martin explained.

"Other armadillos have to rely on their armored shells for defense while they scuttle away through thick, thorny brush or dig themselves a hole to hide in."

"Oh, I got it," Mina and Bites understood.

"Still, it's a cute female armadillo we have here," Martin commented.

"I say we call her... Strike!" Jimmy proclaimed.

"Strike? What kind of name is that?" Martin argued. "And who gave you permission to name it already?"

"What's so wrong about it? She looks like a bowling ball in her curled form."

"Yeah, but armadillos have nothing to do with bowling. She can't really curl into a ball, Chris said so. I would probably call her Shield."

"You ALREADY named a turtle that!"

"Then Armor!"

"What is she, a knight?"

"Much better than comparing her to a bowling ball!"

"That's what she looks like!"

"You already said that!"

"Guys, guys, guys!" Ventus called their attention. "Can't we talk about this later? Looks like our buddy here has something wrong."

"You're right… she looks… tired. Utterly tired." Mina analyzed their new friend's stare.

"Seems like she went for one heck of a walk." Koki saw Mina was right. "Let's take her in and see if she's okay."

"Aw… but what about the tournament?" Jimmy lamented. "What will I do with all those bowls?" He carried the popcorn bowls with him.

* * *

Far away, in the swamps, Gourmand was preparing something very special for Donita Donata and her son.

"I do hope you planned something good," Donita said. "My boy's coming over with his new girlfriend, and I don't want this reunion to be a failure like last times, Gourmand."

"Fear not, Madam Donata. I have a very special plate to offer you and your young lad: a Texas-styled armadillo dinner! Just meet my at my cafe in Florida."

"Perfect. We'll be in our way," Donita said, turning off her screen.

"All I need now is finding some armadillos for dinner time," Gourmand decided, catching some nets to spread them around the swamp.

* * *

Ventus wanted to ram his head into something. Ever since the team cancelled their bowling tournament and decided to help their new armadillo friend, Martin and Jimmy wouldn't stop arguing about what to name her.

"I swear if you two don't stop it, I'll vine tape your mouths!" Chris snapped. That silenced them. "Sheesh."

"Hush!" Koki called. "We're performing a delicate scanning on her. No distractions." The female armadillo was laying down on the desk.

"She's freezing. Are you sure she's okay?" Mina asked worriedly.

"Sure she is. Armadillos have a very low metabolic rate, which means they don't produce much body heat. But also they can't keep warm, so no cold burrows for them," Chris explained.

"And her eyes…" Mina said.

"I know… look tired. She's just poorly eyesight, just like black rhinos."

"However, even with poor eyesight, hunting for her is easy, with these ears and nose. Like their cousins, the aardvarks, they also have sticky tongues and strong claws. Those help them dig deep into the earth, where they build their burrows." Martin pointed out.

"I wonder how she found a way to hide around here, having so many hunters around Florida." Chris caressed the armadillo.

"Hunters? Don't tell me people EAT these creatures," Mina said.

"Unfortunately, yes. It's a delicacy in southern states, especially in Texas," Martin said.

"And it's safe?" Sam asked. "I mean, I don't like eating meat at all, but wildlife creatures have a huge possibility of carrying..."

"Diseases? Well, armadillos are remarkably free of parasites, no big outbreak was registered relating to them. Also they are majorly used in medical research, especially in leprosy-related researches."

"A.K.A, they make perfect guinea pigs," Elsa commented worriedly.

"That sounds a bit cruel," David said. "The poor guys." The Time Guardian gently ran his fingers down the armadillo's shell. "Say, what's with these bands anyway? They're like rings."

"As babies, they have soft shells, soft as human fingernails. Their shells get harder as the animal grows, depositing bone under the skin to make a solid shell."

"So it's kind of like a snake shedding its skin, but instead of just leaving it, the bone is buried under a new layer," Clarissa said.

"Well, sort of."

"This is so amazing!" Aviva commented. "Imagine the benefits an armor like this could offer us furturelly. Guys, I think I have the inspiration..."

"Alright! Armadillo power disks!" Chris and Martin cheered.

" ***gasp* Oh, my gosh… she's gonna have babies,"** M.A.T.I. told the team, calling Martin and Jimmy's attention. " **There are small life forms generated inside this creature mother."**

"Armor here was lucky she found the Tortuga," Martin stated.

"It's Strike!" Jimmy yelled.

"Armor!"

"Strike sounds cooler!"

"Armor is more armadillo appropriate!" Chris, faithful to his promise, tied their mouths shut with vines. Ventus facepalmed at the situation.

* * *

With Gourmand, a familiar plane landed nearby his restaurant.

"We're finally here, _meine liebe_." Klaus came out of it with Amelia by his side.

"Ah, you must be _Monsieur_ Donata and his special gal," the chef greeted, seeing the couple arriving.

"Mother, _monsieur_ , Amelia. Amelia, my mother Donita and Chef Gaston Gourmand," Klaus introduced.

"Charmed to meet you, equal villains," Gourmand said. "And what a lovely fish you caught, young man."

"Oooooo, my boy is the luckiest son a mother could ask for," Donita commented. "You're quite lovely, Miss Cutter."

"I appreciate the comment, my lady." Amelia curtsied in respect. "Your son is a dreamboat."

"And you're the queen in my chess set," Klaus said, kissing her hand, and kissing her whole arm after this.

" _Monsieur_ Gourmand, when will the dinner come?"

"In a second, my boy! I just need the freshest ingredients..." he said, with an evil smile.

* * *

Once free of the vines, Martin saw Jimmy petting the future creature mommy.

"When will the pups come?" he asked.

"Judging by her scanning, maybe today or tomorrow," Koki told.

"Whoa, then Martin was right. VERY lucky that she came here," Chris said. "We gotta set a comfy place for her to give birth."

"Luckily, I kept this away when our familiar cats were here. I knew somehow it would be useful." Clarissa picked up a basket with warm covers.

"Nice going, sister," Chris complimented, carefully placing the armadillo mother there. "And here's some food in case you get hungry."

"What do they eat, anyway?"

"Bugs. They're insectivores," Chris explained.

"Just like their cousins, the aardvarks," Bites reminded. "And like me!" he said.

" **Villain Alert! Villain Alert!"** M.A.T.I. warned. " **A flycam captured an armadillo being caught in a net!"** She showed on the screen the footage. Then, Gourmand appeared, grabbing the net.

"Gourmand!"

"We should have known he would try something," Chris grunted. "Whenever there's an endangered creature, he's there!"

"But if he wants to cook them, I wonder for who he may be..."

" **That is another big problem!"** M.A.T.I showed on the screen. " **Flycam's still flying."** Donita, Klaus and Amelia appeared on the screen.

"The Donatas and Cutter!" Martin gasped.

"That's total villain OVERDRIVE!" Ventus shrieked, while the team flinched. "Sorry…"

"Well, we'll not let them have their way! Armadillos are in danger and we gotta help them!" Aviva said. "Who's up for some Armadillo powers?"

"We are!" the Kratt Trio said. Then, a Predator started scratching the Tortuga's door. Martin conjured his sword, Chris, his bow and Ventus, his blade. Aviva nodded in response.

Once otuside, the brothers surrounded the Predator, and looked behind.

"Remember, guys… with a leader like Amelia and someone like Klaus by her side, these old dogs must have learned new tricks," Chris pointed out. "We must be alert for anything." Then, they heard the sound of a crashed window. When they turned back, the Predator was gone.

"Told ya," Chris commented. They saw a Predator carrying a net with the future mother in it, and the other Predator following it.

"Sorry, guys. That thing seemed really upgraded. The good news is that I got the armadillo disk done!" Aviva warned. "Unfortunately, there's DNA and a disk for only one CPS user."

"Uh, don't you have SOMETHING else to solve before deciding this?" Sam called their attention.

"Oh, yeah, go after Gourmand!" Martin remembered. "Come on, guys! To the Buzz Bikes, and after that Predator!" The brothers rushed back to the Garage and got on the buzz bikes. Ventus, however, needed to get a ride on Aviva's Hover Bike, while she drove.

Jimmy looked from the Tortuga's door, and then looked back to the disk and the armadillo DNA left.

* * *

"Parsley, pepper, rosemary, it's the tastiest dish you'll see," Gourmand sang in his kitchen. Klaus and Amelia waited for the food.

"Let me say, Ms. Donata, it is not easy working on genetic samples for new creatures. Even a genius like me needs a break."

"Oh, I know how it feels when you need a break, darling," Donita replied. "I wish I had more time for me, but there are always these spectacular ideas that don't stop coming. Besides, Dabio keeps messing up everything in the mansion." Dabio pouted at her comment.

"I know the feeling, Donita. Otto is a great warrior, but has the most simple mind in the universe," Amelia commented.

"Oh, mother, by the way… we have great news." Klaus said. "Me and Amelia are getting married!"

"Did I hear right?!" Gourmand pretended to clean his ears. Donita had tears in her eyes

"Oh, my boy, I am so proud of you!" she congratulated. Dabio narrowed his eyes.

"I know the feeling," Otto commented. Then, he saw the Predators arriving. "Oh, mister, your delivery has arrived."

"Perfect." Gourmand looked at the mother, as she stared in fear. "Time to get cooking, then."

"Not so fast!" The Kratt Brothers and Aviva came out.

"Great. Wild Croutons. But who's this White Waffle?" the chef questioned the Kratt in white.

""White Waffle"?" Ven questioned as the three brothers sweat dropped. "Really?"

"Hand over the armadillos, especially this one you just caught. She's a future mother, you know," Aviva asked.

"A mother? Even better. Makes her more filling."

"Why, you..." Ventus clenched his fists. Gourmand picked up his doughball shooter, and attacked the brothers, making them retreat.

"Careful, bro. These doughballs aren't a good thing to deal with," Martin warned.

"Predators, position!" Amelia ordered. "Time to show my way of dealing with menaces, Ms. Donata."

"Guess it's time to put Armadillo power to proof."

"Oh, no! I left behind the Creature Power disk and the armadillo DNA!" Aviva gasped.

"But you brought the M.I.K, right?"

"Yes..."

"Then take cover, and we'll try doing the best we can," Chris warned, conjuring his bow once more. "That does it, you beasts! No more Mr. Nice Guy." Martin followed by bringing out his sword.

While the younger bros defended themselves from the Predators, Ventus used his blade to free the trapped armadillos, while keeping Gourmand away.

"You annoying Whipped Cream! Just melt already!" Gourmand swung his metal meat mallet at him. A quick wind attack simply threw it back.

"It's Ventus to you, Gourd-mand!" He pointed the tip of his blade at his neck.

"Hm, you're pretty good with that toothpick of yours."

"Oh, for mother's sake!" Klaus groaned, grabbing a dagger. Ventus felt his cheek hurt, just as the bros defeated the two Predators.

" _Cariño_!" Aviva yelped.

"Nice shot, boy."

"That's my sweetheart," Amelia said. As the bros rushed to help their brother, the Predators got up.

"Well, well, well, looks like this time we have the advantage." The group glared at the villains, who began to corner them.

"Coming through!" Everyone looked and went wide eyed at a ball of yellow and black rolling at a fast rate. The four team members jumped out of the way.

"Huh?!" The ball hit the villains, knocking them over like bowling pins. It then uncurled to reveal Jimmy in the armadillo suit.

"Jimmy?" Martin gasped.

"STRIIIIKE!" Ventus cheered. "Perfect 10!"

"Thanks." Jimmy cleaned the dust.

"Perfect timing. Catch, guys!" Aviva threw the brothers the new disks.

*Bg music: Jet - Rip it Up*

As an armadillo scurried away, the three touched its back. The three activated their suits.

"Time to tuck and roll!" Martin decided. "There are still many armadillos to save!"

"To the creature rescue!" They did a group high five, and set to action. Jimmy rushed to help the trapped armadillos, by rolling in the cages' direction, knocking them down. The cages busted open, freeing them.

Meanwhile, the brothers rolled around the kitchen, messing everything up, and expelling the Predators.

"Ugh! Come on, you all. The service is lousy!" Klaus exclaimed angrily. The Donatas left in their jet.

"Oh, fine! Keep your stupid armored rat!" Gourmand shouted, pulling his restaurant up into his truck. "Don't think it's the last time we've seen each other, Wild Croutons!"

"It never is," Martin commented

"Guys!" Jimmy gasped, with the armadillo mother by his side. "I think it's time! She's gonna give birth!"

"What?! Now?!" Chris gasped.

"No time to get her to the Tortuga! It's happening! Come out here, guys!"

"It's what?!" Koki exclaimed in shock on the other end of the Creaturepod. "Clarissa, get that bed, and the rest, get in the rocket sled! This calls for an emergency labor!"

* * *

The team surrounded the new mother.

" _Ay, que lindos_."

"Thank Zeus you got here in time, Ventus commented. "The future mother here is healty and so are her babies."

"Nine-banded armadillos always give birth to four identical younglings… the only mammal known to do so. " Chris commented.

"Strike."

"Armor!"

"Dudes," Ven called, arms crossed. Then, he saw they were actually naming the pups. "Oh..." The two looked at each other, then turned to David.

"Me?" he asked. The teen gave it some thought, before naming the other two babies."Gauntlet and… Pin."

"And finally, the mom. Guess it's only right you name her, JZ. You deserve this honor," Martin decided. Jimmy smiled.

"Hm… I know. Matilda."

"I like it. It's a name for a strong person. And we can't say she's not strong, right?" Ventus pointed out.

Jimmy caressed his friend. "She passed through so much just to take care of her family by herself."

"She survived in a place where her breed is a constant hunting target," Koki added.

"And gave birth to four healthy, parasite-free, and now under our protection babies," Elsa pointed out.

"Alright then. Matilda it is," Martin agreed. The team watched the four baby armadillos crawl all over the cat bed.

"A family of healthy armadillos... living free and in the wild," Chris commented.


	16. Episode 17: From Dust Thee Came

In Amelia's cabin, Klaus showed her the planning for their wedding.

"So here's the wedding chapel, and the music will be provided by a bunch of so-called Zachbots, provided by Mr. Zach Varmitech."

"Oh, it's gonna be the best day of our lives," Amelia commented. "You think I should wear black or white on our wedding day? I don't want to look too nice, though. Must maintain my reputation."

Otto muttered something out of jealousy. However, Amelia heard from him "black" and "white".

"Both! Great idea, Otto." Klaus chuckled. However, something then called his attention. " _Meine liebe?_ "

"Amelia… look." He showed her his hand. It seemed to vanish slowly. This worried the lovebirds.

* * *

In the Donata mansion, Donita prepared herself for her son's visit. She could not be more excited to see her soon daughter-in-law again.

"Oh, Dabio, isn't it marvelous?" she said, as she tried picking a dress for the occasion. "My baby boy's getting married! And his girl is a valuable one!"

"It's great, Donita. It is really great to see my "so-brilliant-and-way-more-loved-than-me" brother." Donita looked at Dabio. He talked… in a very smart way. "Anyway, I gotta take these fabrics to the attic. You never know when you'll need it."

Donita felt a little surprised by that strange phenomenon, but shrugged and turned to the mirror. But, as she saw her own reflection… something caught her attention.

" _Time is running out..."_ a disembodied voice whispered. She looked behind to see no one there. But as she looked back to her reflection, she shrieked of panic. Her scream could be heard from the outside of the mansion.

* * *

In the Kratts' house,the bros, Ventus, Clarissa, and the Kratt Twins were at a slumber party for siblings. The three girls were playing with each other's hair while the brothers showed Ven the things they kept from their childhood. Chris felt extremely emotional at a point from finding a certain plush elephant.

"Status: #slumberpartyrocks," Susan wrote on her Internet profile. Suddenly, a pillow flew over her head and hit Martin square in the face.

"Mom, are the cookies ready?" Christine asked. In another second, Martin threw the pillow back at her, messing up the hairdo Clarissa did.

"In a second, honey," their mother replied from downstairs.

"Oh, you are so going to pay, brother," Christine challenged, readying her pillow.

"We shall let the pillows decide," he answered. The other four siblings made room to watch the showdown. Mina arrived through a portal just as the two charged.

"Brothers, Clarissa, there's- Wah!" The nymph hybrid found herself on the ground, buried under pillows.

"Whoops, sorry, Mina," Martin apologized.

"Luckily, there were only pillows this time."

"What took you so long, sis?" Clarissa asked. "Come on, soon there'll be some vegan cookies served and I can make a nice hairstyle on you."

"Sorry, guys, but the slumber party gotta wait. We have a problem," Mina commented. "Aunt Eris told me something very unusual is going on in your world."

"Eris? What about Hermia?"

"She… I don't know. She seems a bit out of it. Plus, I saw her hair has some more white on it than last time," Mina muttered, a bit saddened and worried about her mother.

"Weird," Ventus thought.

"Anyway, what's exactly happening?" Martin asked.

"Cookies are ready, kids!" Linda called. Mina noticed the begging look on her twin foster sister's eyes.

"Maybe one or two cookies..." she sighed, with a chuckle.

* * *

"And she was… becoming distant to everyone," Mina said with the team reunited after the interrupted party in the Tortuga. "Not even Luna gets something from her."

"Flora, has she acted like this before?" Aviva asked via her medallion. It began glowing.

" _No, she never acted so solitary,_ " Flora's voice echoed from the gem. " _Hermia has always been a kind, caring and talkative mother. She wouldn't just shut herself out."_

"Oohhh..." Christine and Susan looked forward.

"AW, come on, it's not like you haven't witnessed magic before," Martin commented. Then, they heard a desperate knock on the door.

"Who is that at this hour?" Koki asked out loud. Her hair was a mess and Jimmy was with her, without his cap.

"I'll see it. You go back to sleep, honey." Jimmy kissed her forehead. As he opened the door, the team got closer as they saw a body falling forward. It was… Donita?! "What the Fates?!"

"Wild Kratts… help… me…." She looked up. Her face wasn't tan as it used to. It looked really… old.

"Whoa! What happened to her?" Martin gasped.

"I don't know, it's not like any possible disease I've heard about." Chris scanned Donita with his Creaturepod. "There's no match in any medical things either."

"No time… my baby's in trouble..." Donita looked up, with teary eyes. "You need to help me… I beg you..."

"Mr. Casanova, in trouble? Huh! Big deal," Ventus huffed, receiving a slap from his brother.

"Not cool, dude. NOT cool."

"I beg you, please!" Donita clutched Ven's jacket. "My baby boy is in danger! And his wedding is coming up!"

"Klaus and Amelia… married?! Blergh! I can't possibly imagine something grosser," Sam ranted.

"Really discreet, dude, REALLY discreet," David commented.

"Enough. Look… despite our "actual situation", with a possibility of regretting this… we'll help you," Martin said. "We must help EVERYONE. That's our job as so-called heroes, you know."

"... I really hate when you're right," Ventus pouted. "But okay. Let's get everyone up and go to her house."

"Good idea. A good way to start solving a mystery is from its start location," Chris agreed. Donita's eyes glowed.

* * *

In the Donata Mansion, the team reunited and analyzed everything around them. Klaus and Amelia were also present.

"This never happened before. And I never believed something like this could happen," Klaus said, with a worried tone. Amelia and David simply averted gazing, for rivalry causes.

"Anyone up for some tea with biscuits?" Dabio offered, surprising Martin. "I took the liberty of putting a bit of mint in it."

"Oh… um, thanks, Dabio. I guess..." Martin shrugged, picking up a biscuit.

"Okay, despite the fact that… Dabio looks really smarter than usual and the Donatas' current status, I don't see anything around here that can cause such strange effects," Aviva commented. Chris arrived through a portal with Eris.

"Oh, but I do feel something, Aviva. Some kind of magic hidden away beneath the walls of this mansion." Eris closed her eyes to see if she could find the exact location. "But I can't… I can't find the exact location. My Darkness ability have been a little weaker for some reason."

The brothers' shadows rose behind the Donatas, startling Dabio.

" **If you let us..."** Thorn asked. The three bros nodded, and he, Ice and Storm started to check every single dark corner of the mansion. Besides some cobwebs on their way, Thorn eventually did find the source: it came from a strange secret passage to the Donatas' basement.

"Nice work, Thorn," Chris commented. Thorn chuckled and returned to his normal shadow status. "Now let's see what's down here."

The team came down the stairs, with Donita shortly coming after them. The basement looked like it have not been cleaned for years. It had many boxes, various kinds of broken mannequins and old fabrics, and many photos and books covered in dust. Mina silently sneezed. Did anyone catch already that she's allergic to dust? Martin gave her a piece of clean fabric to put in front of her nose and mouth, so she wouldn't sneeze. Chris searched around with his flashlight, Jimmy strongly held Koki tight, Aviva and Ventus looked around, and so did the rest.

Ice and Storm noticed a strange amount of dark energy coming from a certain pedestal nearby, and called Eris' attention for it.

"What is this?" Chris illuminated the pedestal. It had a book on the top of it. Donita gulped.

"It looks like it was used… at least a year ago." Chris picked up the tome. He brushed off what little dust was on it.

The cover had a red spiral on the cover. As Chris looked through the first few pages, his eyes widened.

"This is... a book on performing dark spells. Why would Donita have something like this?"

"Look, one of them is bookmarked," Eris pointed out. The Earth Guardian went to that page. There was an image that showed a black figure rising from the ground.

"Class: Underworld?" Chris read. There was a crash behind the group.

"Sorry, just tripped," Dabio called. "I came over to see If I could find the missing needle on Donita's shelf." Donita quickly snatched the book from Chris.

"What the Fates?! Donita!" They saw Donita's fear in her expression.

"Wh-who said you could stick your nose in someone's things?!" she snapped.

"Uh, because this is an investigation..." Sam tapped her shoulder, and picked up the book from her. "Every detail is important. Not to mention that this book is full of FORBIDDEN magic. Chris, what spell was bookmarked again?"

"A spell on resurrection... " Then, he gasped in horror. "B-but a spell like that was banned since..."

Suddenly, an eerie sound was heard. A black and green portal opened from behind them.

"Time is up." A man arose from the portal. He had black, raven hair, a dark purple robe and held a dark scepter.

"Is that..."

"Hades, supreme Lord of the Underworld." Eris recognized the man. "My dearest father..."

"Long time no see, Eiri. I have heard from my brother that you've been on best behavior since your second release." Eris blushed by remembering the name she was given by Gaia.

"We have a lot of catching up to do, father. But first, you gotta answer us… what is happening?" Eris showed Donita and Klaus.

"For her, it is punishment for the magic she used. She did this to herself by challenging the abilities only I can give. She resurrected someone."

"So… that means… Klaus Donata is dead," Eris stated. Everyone turned to her in shock.

"D-dead?" Mina mumbled.

"Dead… so that's why I haven't felt the flow of time from him," David said.

"Th-then... this is a reincarnation?" Ventus asked, pointing at Klaus.

"No, this is different," the Underworld god responded. "He was directly brought back to life. But the spell for such a feat is illegal for nymphs and apprentices alike. Only gods have the right to use such dangerous magic."

Donita knelt, crying.

"I'll tell it all. It all started years ago…

 _"I was a starter in the fashion business. My husband passed away in a plane accident, leaving me to take care of our son Klaus all by myself._

 _"Later, I would adopt Dabio, after finding him asking for food in front of my mansion. He was a little older than my boy, yet… his intelligence was, as you can imagine, way less effective than my son's, who was born a perfect prodigy._

 _"They both helped me in modeling and creating new designs. But, oh, I loved my biological son way more than Dabio. With a reason: he was the only one that could really understand fashion as what it is._

" _They grew up together, but Klaus was and WILL always be my favourite of them both. However, our days of happiness were cut short, when Klaus was bitten by a venomous spider in the attic. All I heard was a scream, then all I could see was him lying on the floor, covered in cobwebs."_

"What?! But... there's no way that's possible!" Aviva exclaimed. "It should've taken a few minutes to hours for spider venom to kill a person!"

"That's what happened!" Donita snapped. "I'm sure that's what happened! Anyway...

" _I was devastated. And this made me swear to bring him back. But how…. I didn't know. For a long time, while swearing to do what you consider now my major crime, I've also been learning about rituals and hearing all, kinds of legends about reincarnation._

 _"Then, I found them out to be true. I had discovered that you all, the original five members, are reincarnations yourselves. And after the mysterious events with the pauper you call your sister, I investigated Greek mythology and found portals to many different places."_

" _With this, I ordered Dabio to find this book in an abandoned place. Of course, with his ignorance and lack of intelligence, it was rather difficult."_

"However, I succeeded, and used the spell a while after the time I tried to get the chameleons."

"A year ago," Mina remembered.

"After that, I finally had my baby boy back… and he looked the age he would be now."

"No. I-I refuse to believe this!" Klaus walked backwards. "There's no way that's true!"

" _Meine liebe..._ " Amelia knelt close to him.

"Hm… where exactly did the bite happen?" Elsa thought about a possibility.

"In the attic. After the incident, I closed it off to never revisit again." Eris looked to the brothers' shadows.

"Father, give us some time to find out the answers we need, please," she asked Hades. The Underworld god he might be, but he could not say no to his daughter.

"Very well. I will be back in a while… to reclaim what was promised when this mortal casted this spell."

"And that would be..." Chris asked.

"Her life." The team gasped at the answer, and they looked at a coughing Donita, as her skin lost more of its color. The team turned back to where Hades was to see he was gone.

"We have no time to lose," Chris decided. "Let's go, guys."

* * *

The attic was filled of dust and cobwebs. Its secret door was unlocked by Thorn.

" **Nailed it,"** the shadow alerted.

"Better stay down, Mina. I don't want to imagine the huge amount of dust that can get to your little nose," Martin cooed his sister.

"Bro..." Mina blushed. "Not in front of them."

"Martin, check it out," Chris called.

As the Kratt in blue climbed the stairs, Mina saw Klaus in front of the mansion's fountain.

The team analyzed the cobwebs around the attic. One nearby called Ice's attention.

" **There. Small portion of dark energy..."**

"Ice is right. This webbing looks like it hasn't been collected for years." Chris was about to touch the webbing, when Thorn slapped his hand away. "Ow! What's the matter?" He pointed to a shadowy spider.

" **SHE's the matter. A spider familiar,"** Thorn explained. " **Some breeds of familiars are very dangerous. It was believed a big part of these were extinct. But somehow, some of them escaped to the human world, causing grief."**

" **Its power is fatal to humans. One single bite from a spider familiar can kill you,"** Ice added, making Martin gulp.

"Well, so here's the culprit for Klaus's demise," Koki commented. "All we gotta do is take it away from here."

"Uh… guys..." Jimmy pointed out to the ceiling. There were amounts of spider familiar. "Wh-why are there so many here?"

" **Some familiars are attracted to humans' emotions, evil ones usually with greed. And if they mate with normal spiders… their offspring can be way more dangerous than you expect."**

"You could have told this earlier, you know..." Ventus muttered, as the team stepped back in fear.

* * *

Klaus was devastated. Amelia was by his side, trying to give him some comfort.

"Th-that explains perhaps why… I can't remember most things..." he muttered sadly. Mina stepped silently close to them. "I don't remember much after the bite… and she told me… I had a case of amnesia…"

Dabio approached the couple.

"You should get back. It's cold and you need to get resed for your big day."

"Sh-shut up! I shouldn't even be here!"

"For Donita, you should." Dabio lowered his head. "You're all she truly cares about. All the creatures she kidnapped… all the work she did… it was all because of you. The only one that should not be part of this is me."

Klaus looked up with teary eyes to his adopted brother. Ignoring his common personality, he embraced him. As he started returning to the mansion, Mina patted Dabio no the shoulder.

"I just gotta ask… how come someone so nice still wants to remain with someone like HER?"

"Kid… If I don't take care of her, who will?" Dabio said, patting her head. Mina saw him follow his foster brother, and smiled. Deep within, smart or not, Dabio's intention was always the best.

* * *

The familiar spiders stared at the team with menacing stares.

"Uh… any ideas?"

"Is panicking a valid idea?"

"Don't move. One little slip and they can attack." Donita struggled to come up the stairs. She felt weaker and weaker. David saw her coming and his face went pale.

"D-Donita…?" The others looked and they gasped. Jimmy muffled his scream, but it was useless.

*BG music: Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark*

The familiar spiders started to split in groups. The team climbed down the stairs as quick as they could, knocking Donita down in the process.

Klaus entered by that moment. Then, he saw Donita on the floor, or at least, what was left of her: she looked like an skeletic version of who she was.

"Klaus… my boy… forgive me..." Donita said, before fainting.

"I don't know what's freakier: this familiar or Donita apologizing," Aviva muttered.

"Wow," Ventus commented.

"Please tell me you have a plan, Aviva!" Jimmy asked.

"I'm petrified beyond all capacity for rational thought." Aviva shivered, holding Ventus tightly.

"Aviva's broken," Koki said. "Wait. Can familiars hurt shadows?"

" **One step ahead, Koki. Let's go, bros!"** Storm said. Thorn and Ice cornered the maximum of spiders they could, and Chris opened a portal with his medallion.

"This portal will lead them to a remote part of Artemis' garden."

"You think she'll know how to lead with so many dangerous spiders all at once?" Martin wondered.

" **This is the goddess of animals and the hunt we're talking about!"** Ice commented, bringing more of the spiders.

"Uh… I don't think this will work with THAT one..." Ventus stepped back, as he saw the rest of the spiders joining and becoming one single familiar. "We're gonna need a bigger portal."

Martin tried to use his ice powers, and Chris his quartz, and the team tried to use their weapons, but the beast seemed to resist to anything they threw at it.

"Oh, for Hera's sake!" Ventus complained. "This arachnid is ticking me off!"

 **"That goes for all of us!"** Storm agreed.

By that moment, Hades appeared again.

"What the Fates?" he announced. The familiar giant, after nearly crushing the Guardians, had its attention now on the near-dead Donita. Amelia observed everything from the door, and so did Dabio.

Dabio reached for something tucked under his collar.

"D-Dabio, what are you-?!" Klaus was about to snap in disbelief. He stopped when a medal was pulled out. "An Athen Medal?"

"Did someone say Athen Medal?" Chris called in surprise before dodging the monster's fangs. "Don't those things grant the holder intelligence?"

"Here!" the blond henchman called. "Here!" The magic spider saw the glittering medal and headed towards it. At the last moment, he stepped out of the way of the portal Hades opened in the floor, and the spider fell in it, but not before scratching Dabio's arm.

 **"Before anyone panics,"** Thorn said as he saw the horrified faces of the team. **"A bite from a spider familiar kills, but a scratch merely leaves the victim dizzy after a few minutes."** Everyone sighed in relief.

"Thank the Fates," Mina commented.

"Uh... so where did you get that, Dabio?" David asked.

"I remember I was searching for that book Donita wanted so much...

" _But after I gave it to her, this shiny thing fell from it, and was lost in the fabric room ever since. When I entered a while after the time she met Amelia, to find a certain fabric she was needing, I found it underneath the dust. Of course I didn't know what it could do, but once I started wearing it… well, guess you saw this yourselves."_

"Brother jealousy. Of course."

"Cliche alert!" Martin commented.

"Very nice job, Guardians. However, celebration can come later. Now… her time has come. And he must come too."

"On my Achilles' foot!" Amelia objected.

"Wait," Dabio called Hades' attention. "I know they were mean to me, and that she'll continue caring more for him than for me as a son… but I would not like to see any of them leave forever. And Miss Cutter wouldn't want that either. Instead of taking him or her… you can take me away," he said, with his head low.

"What?!" the team shouted in disbelief. Hades observed the sincerity in Dabio's eyes. The Underworld god he was, but he had a soft point. Then, he saw the Athen Medal.

"A good soul you are, with gained wisdom or not." He pointed to the medal, and Dabio got what he wanted. Then, the trade was made: the blond henchman gave up his Athen Medal, and Hades left by the portal. Donita recovered her conscience, regaining her vitality.

"Mother."

"K-Klaus..."

" _Meine liebe_!" Amelia glomped her fiancé, causing both of them to fall to the ground. This was followed by smooching sounds.

"Geez Hermes," David nearly gagged at the sight.

"Real nice, bro," Elsa commented sarcastically. The fashionista was lifted by her two sons.

"I don't know how to thank you all. But just gotta leave it clear-" Donita started.

"This does not change our status, we know," Chris interrupted her. "However, we're glad we could help you."

"Dabio."

"Yes, Donita?"

"Show them the exit."

"No need to. We know our way." Mina leaded the team, and after leaving, gave a smile to Dabio.

* * *

A couple of days passed. in the backyard of Donita's mansion, Zachbots played an electronic version of a wedding march. Amelia and Klaus held hands, while Donita and Dabio watched, along with the Predators.

Secretly, under the cloaking function, the Wild Kratts were watching the matrimony from above.

"I really think I'm going to be sick," Sam said. "How'd you guys even talk me into watching them?"

 **"Samuel, be nice,"** M.A.T.I. lightly scolded.

"Well, this may not change our current status as enemies, but we are glad we could help," Martin commented, and Chris agreed.

"At least for a while, we'll not hear from any of them," David commented. "This can give us time to work more on Operation Thunderdome."

"Later, dude, later," Ventus replied. "You don't always witness a wedding, you know."

David and Sam huffed in response but quieted themselves down. The team was right: as heroes, they did what was right, and helped someone in need.


	17. Episode 18: Snowanna the Snow Owl

The Tortuga HQ flew around the skies, early in the morning. Inside of it, the team was simply asleep. Well, except for two certain brothers and an inventor. Martin and Chris tip-toed to Ventus's hammock, trying to contain their excitement.

"Guys, hold it together," Aviva whispered, though just as excited.

Suddenly, they heard a noise of something bumping, causing the ship to shake a bit. The bros fell back in the quake.

"HUH? What was that?" Ventus asked, fully waking up.

"Wow… speaking of a rude awakening," Martin huffed, dusting himself off. Koki looked from the window and saw… a bird falling.

"Oh, no! That bird bumped into the Tortuga's wing!"

"Bird?! I'm on it!" Ventus said from the Tortuga's shell, immediatly diving with his wind wings, and getting the baby bird safely in his jacket, improvising a nest for it.

"*cough* Show off..." David muttered. That gave him a pile of snow down his jacket from Martin. "Ack! Cold, cold, cold, cold, cold!" he yelped, shaking the snow out. By that moment, Ventus returned to the ship.

"Wow… it's not just any bird… it's a snow owl!" Martin recognized.

* * *

Later, with the HQ landed, everyone was around the little bird.

"Weird… if she's a snow owl, then why..." Elsa observed, with a doubt stare.

"She doesn't look like a smaller version of her grown up counterpart?" Martin asked.

"I was going to say "why she looked so weird", but that'll do."

"Well, many birds have chicks that don't look like them in miniature size, like little Fluff form the Falcon City adventure. They're born with small feathers that are useful for them to keep warm."

"Male snow owls are barred with dark brown when they're young and get whiter as they get older," Chris added on. "Females keep some dark markings throughout their lives. Although the darkest males and the palest females are nearly alike in color, the whitest birds are always males and the most heavily barred ones are always females."

"She's a little… different, but I think she's adorable, with these wittle-teeny-tiny-wings," Ventus babytalked.

"Is that Ventus?" Jimmy whispered nearby Koki, receiving a slap on the neck from Martin and a "cap down" from Chris. "OUCH! HEY!"

"But why would a tiny owl like this be awake at this time?" David wondered.

"Unlike most other owl species, snow owls hunt mainly in the daytime. 'Cause their prey is more active in the day. And since they can't dive under the snow like foxes, they have to snatch their lunch off the ground. Usually lemmings and small rodents."

"Still… why did a baby fly without its mommy?"

"Her tree fell down?" Bite-Size asked, and the others looked at him. "What? Bats aren't the only ones to have their lairs destroyed like that."

"Bites is right," Koki analyzed the area. "Apparently, someone was cutting down some trees illegally and knocked out many critters' homes."

" **And also their prey population has plummeted,"** M.A.T.I. informed. " **I did a bio-scan for their prey, and there are barely any left in the area."**

"WHAT?!" Ventus shouted, panicked, startling the baby owl, who just couldn't fly due to its wounded wing. "Oops. Sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to."

"This is terrible!" Chris exclaimed. "Illegal deforesting and disruption of prey is the most common reason animals are becoming endangered."

"I wish I could get each of those mean people that did this..." Ven muttered.

"Aw, don't be pouty, bro. Not today." Martin smiled. "We want you to have a very special and perfect day."

"Why would you want this day to be perfect?" Ven asked, oblivious of what day it was.

"Ventus, don't you know what today is?!" Chris asked in shock.

"It's your birthday, dude!" Martin pointed out.

"My what?"

"You've gotta be kidding!" Aviva gasped. "Did they not have birthdays back then?!"

"This is the first I've heard of one. Is the date of birth that ceremonial?"

"Uh, yeah!" his bros said like it was obvious.

"Don't blame him, guys. Remember, he's been imprisoned for years," Mina reminded them.

"Well, we'll have time to talk about this later. We have a mother to find," Ventus decided.

"And I know how we can do it the best. Wtih snowy owl powers!" Aviva suggested. The bros turned to her immediately, obviously interested.

"That reminds me: what can we call her?" Ventus wondered.

"Well, there's lots of snow right now," Aviva said. "And she's a snow owl."

"And the forest reminds me of that one m-," Martin was going to say, until Chris covered his mouth.

"I think we've referenced that waaay too much."

"Snowanna!" Elsa blurted out.

"What?"

"It just popped into my head."

"Sounds good to me," Ventus agreed. "Snowanna the snow owl."

"Well, the birthday boy's order," Martin replied, not even caring for him using his fourth wall trick again.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a distant spot, Klaus called in a conference with both his mother and Zach Varmitech.

"I am glad you both could join in my little conference. However, we don't have much of a good connection here, so I must be quick."

"The pleasure is all mine, darling. How was your honeymoon?" Donita asked.

"Ah, the most wonderful thing possible, mother. Well, the reason I called you is that I am needing your help," Klaus said. "I am planning to surprise Amelia on the end of our honeymoon, by giving her a very special gift..." He showed them his plan. "A living snow owl dress!"

"Well, I am in for the challenge, and will go meet you right away." Donita smiled. "Dabio, let's search for snowy owls."

"And I'll get my Zachbots! We'll meet you where we find these birdies!" Zach turned off.

"Excellent." Klaus decided to leave to meet them, but not before giving his sleepy wife a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be right back, sweetheart. Otto, stay alert for anything."

* * *

"And there we go. Modifications to the elf owl disks for snow owl activation." Aviva programmed the disk in her computer.

"Cool! I call first run!" Ven eagerly took the disk.

"Go for it, bro. It is your birthday." The Kratt in white slipped the disk in and gently stroked Snowanna's feathers.

"Activate Snow Owl Powers!" In a flash of white, Ventus was in a pure white owl suit.

"Whoa, that's so white it hurts my eyes," Bites said, covering his eyes.

"I'm off to do an owl flight." Ven picked up the makeshift nest for Snowanna with his talons. "See ya in the forest!" The Kratt in white took off out the door.

"This actually works out," Martin pointed out. "While he takes Snowanna out, we can prepare the Tortuga for his birthday party!" he whispered to Chris.

"Wow, they're more excited than Ventus," Koki commented.

"They should be. The past few days have been tense for the three of them," Elsa reminded her.

"Don't even talk about that," Aviva remembered the horror that was leading with three brothers on bad terms.

"What do you think he woukld like? Maybe streamers?" Chris thought.

"No, balloons are more floaty, and he adores being in the air," Martin suggested.

"Maybe confetti."

"Too small. It's a big day. It's gotta be bigger!"

"Why not feathers? He's an avian fanatic, after all," Aviva suggested.

"Guys, guys, guys!" Jimmy calmed them down. "Calm down there. Why not putting them all?"

"Fair enough." Then, they looked at Jimmy. "Cake flavor! What kind of cake flavor would he like?" Jimmy sighed. Why did he even try?

* * *

While the team tried their best to make a perfect l party for Ventus, the birthday boy flew around with Snowanna, admiring the view.

"Woohoo! Yeah! I just love flying around anywhere! And it's way awesomer with Creature Powers!" Then, he stopped for a moment, seeing something coming in their direction. "What the..."

A cloud of smoke passed by, making Ventus fall coughing and let go of the nest. As he approached a tree, he sharply stooped and caught it before landing on a branch. By that moment, he held Snowanna's falling nest with his wings. Ven coughed, trying to get the smoke out of his lungs.

"That was close. Better deactivate," the Kratt in white decided, deactivating his CPS. "Snowanna? Are you okay?" The snow owl chick chirped. "That trail of smoke was surely a bad surprise." Suddenly, the whole tree began to shake along with a familiar shredding sound. Ven looked down at the base and gasped.

"Zachbots!"

The tree fell, leaving him in midair for a few seconds. He gulped and he fell with the nest, unable to call his wings fast enough. Landing the the snow, Ventus was then surrounded by Zachbots. "Uh oh." Soon the two were towered over.

* * *

"Phew. That was the last feather we had." Martin wiped the sweat off his face, as the team finally finished decorating. But as they observed… all that white and feathers didn't seem too nice as they thought it would be.

"A little TOO white, don't you think?" Koki commented. "I mean, he does like white, but..."

"Yeah, this is a bit much," Sam agreed. "Say, why not removing something from all this whitedom?" He reached for a picture of the team.

"Not THAT!" Chris stopped in front. "It has a sentimental reason for me to choose it!"

"Hmm..." Sam became skeptical about his and Martin's need for perfection. Then, he reached for the streameras.

"Aw, come on! The streamers are his favourite color."

"Make up your minds! Besides, all this white is hurting my eyes!" David complained.

"Okay, fine," Chris pouted. "Let me help you with this." He picked up the baloons.

"No, let ME help with this!" Martin placed it back.

"I insist, I can handle this!"

"No, you can't!" In a few seconds, the two got into a heated argument.

 **"ENOUGH!"** Ice and Thorn shouted. The team cringed at their shriek.

"Great, now you two are scolding us?" Chris complained.

" **I think I speak for us both when I point out that this is getting beyond control because there is NO control,"** Ice commneted.

 **"And the way you two were agruing reminded us too much about... how we were..."** Thorn shivered at the memory of their creation. " **Just put yourselves in Ventus's place for a moment,"** he continued after regaining composure. **"You really think he would make THAT much of a deal about how to throw a party? Guess you should at least let him choose to celebrate it or not."**

The bros looked down, ashamed. Once more, their dark sides threw some light on their situation.

* * *

"I must admit, Vincenzo, you'd make an ideal model for my next line of white winter wear," Donita commented.

"In your feather stuffed dreams, Dumbata," the Kratt in white retorted from the cage he was in with Snowanna. "I heard about what you've done to my bros, and I will not be a continuation of it."

"Your bros? I never even heard of you before my "little visit". Are you even related to them?"

"Classified info. Not saying anythin'!" Ven yelled in the inventor's ear. After wincing from his loud voice, Zach growled and glared at him.

"You better watch your squawking, birdbrain!"

"At least I'm not a skeleton in black."

"At least I'm not as white as a ghost."

"At least I'm good looking enough to have a girlfriend." He smirked at that. Zach froze in dumbfoundness, Donita trying not to laugh.

"Enough of this!" Klaus protested. "Don't waste your time with him. He's just a birdbrain. Besides, you came here to help me with Amelia's honeymoon gift."

"Klaus is right as always. Dabio, send the pose beams," Donita ordered. Dabio pressed a button on the remote control, and pose beams spread all over the forest, freezing owls in mid-air.

"Zachbots! Find owls!" Zach ordered.

"Snowanna, since I can't do anything now, I gotta warn the team." Ventus took out his Creaturepod, but a Predator shook his cage and made him drop it. "Pixie sticks." He facepalmed, as the creature munched on the Creaturepod.

"Now there's no way those Wild Kratts can find you." Klaus smirked, as he prepared the white prototype dress. "In other other words, no way to ruin my perfect plan."

"Isn't my boy brilliant?" Donita glorified her son. Zach showed his tongue in disgust. Ven slightly nodded in agreement.

* * *

Chris removed the last bit of white from the room.

"Well, that was the last bit of white. The bad news is… we returned to a blank space, and no decorations for Ventus's perfect birthday party."

"And worst, the birthday boy hasn't come back yet, and it's getting late," Clarissa pointed out. "Do you think he got lost?"

"No, he should have the owl vision and super hearing," Martin responded. "So he should've been fine."

"Not getting anything on the Creaturepod. It's all static," Koki alerted. "Think it broke?"

"He's way more careful with his stuff than we are," Martin pointed out. "Maybe even more than Chris."

"Well, let's not go that far," Chris assured. "*sigh* I can'1t believe we got so obsessed..."

"Sorry, but we don't have time for this, guys! We gotta find Ventus!" Aviva pointed out.

" **Wait. He left with a Creature Power Suit, so there might be a way to locate him,"** M.A.T.I. decided. " **Let's send a flycam to the last trace of his GPS, and see what we can get."** After a short time, the results came. " **Found him!"** M.A.T.I. tracked the Kratt in white, and exhibited the flycam image on the screen. " **Oh, no! It's Klaus Donata!"**

"And Zach and Donita!" Martin saw the other two well-known bad guys.

"To think, Snowanna, that my brothers were trying to throw me a good, first birthday party for me," they heard Ventus speaking with the baby owl. "I don't get much of this whole birth celebration thing, but if I had to make a wish on my birthday... it would be the freedom of your fellow snow owls. There's nothing that makes me happier than seeing creatures living free and in the wild."

The brothers heard every word. Chris's eyes were glowing, and Martin wiped a tear of pride.

"A flycam? Here?" Ventus ended up noticing the small machine. "Guys, if you can hear me, please, you gotta help me and the forest's snow owls!" Then, a Predator stopped in front of the machine, and the last thing the team saw was a bunch of teeth.

* * *

Ventus saw the flycam in pieces in front of him. Meanwhile, Zachbots and pose beams arrived with many snow owls, grown-ups and chicks.

"Excellent," Klaus pointed out. "By the time you came, once more I've prevented birdbrain here from reaching you-know-who."

"Try again to be sneaky and I'll take that Creature Power Suit of yours," Zach commented.

"Over my dead body you will, Varmi-skull," Ventus teased.

"Watch your mouth, Vincenzo! Or mom will not be so generous!" Klaus menaced.

"What's the worse she can do besides place me in an ugly outfit?"

"Then, think about what my wife can do. She can make you into a horrid hybrid if she wanted to." Klaus smirked when Ven's stern face wavered at the threat. "Now, quiet. We're creating an avian masterpiece." He placed some of the chicks nearby the dress's neck and the bigger ones in the skirt.

"Only someone as twisted as your wife would like that dress." A Predator snapped in his face, making him scoot back a bit. It also startled Snowanna, who sank back into her nest.

"Oh… I see we forgot one here..." Klaus noticed the chick.

"Don't lift a finger on her!" a voice was heard. Ventus looked up: his brothers were arriving in snow owl powers.

"Boy, am I glad you you're here!" Ven smiled.

"Not as glad as we are to see you. Klaus, you touch her or him and we'll make sure you get something worse than a bad hair day!" Martin threatened.

"That's it! I've had enough interruptions for one day!" Klaus pointed to them, and the Predators attacked.

"Then prepare yourself, Klaus, for a dose of Snow Owl Powers!" Martin accepted the challenge. He showed his talons. "Snow owls are excellent daylight hunters!" With that, he knocked over the Predators. "You Predators are mere lemmings for my talons."

"They'll aggresively defend their families and nests from invaders!" Chris pointed out, attacking a few more Predators, as Ventus escaped his open cage and activated his powers.

"And that's what we call familiy spirit, for you mess with one of us… you mess with ALL of us!" Ventus proclaimed, knocking over the pose beams and freeing the snow owls. "Go, my feathered friends!"

"My masterpiece RUINED!" Klaus lamented.

"Aw, my poor baby!" Donita stayed by his side, and Zach cowardly ran away as always. "Dabio, get the plane! Let's get my poor baby back home." Donita helped her son to walk away from there, taking the dress with her.

"Allright, the snow owl families are safe!" Chris smiled. "Living frere and inthe wild."

"Speaking of this..." Martin pointed out. "Looks like Snowanna found her mom and dad." A lovely mother owl landed near the makeshift nest. A pure white male came next to her. "The father provides the food for the family, and the chick is feed by its parents for at least 5 weeks before leaving the nest."

"That's barely over a month," Ven calculated, as he carefully placed the nest in a tree. The mother landed on his head, meeting his eyes. He couldn't help but chuckle. "You're very welcome."

"And here comes OUR family." Martin saw the Tortuga arriving at that clear place.

"Ha-ha! Really? You did that?" Ventus chuckled, as he heard Chirs telling about their tries on making the place look perfect for his birthday.

"Yeah, let's just say we were so worried about making it a perfect day that we forgot WHAT would make it truly perfect," Chris admitted.

"Yeah, we really WERE more excited than you," Martin agreed, as they were entering the Tortuga. "But it would be awesome to celebrate this day with y-"

"Surprise!" The team surprised the bros with a room decorated with pictures and WK symbols in their trademark colors.

"WOW!" Ventus exclaimed.

"Wow..." the brothers muttered.

"Wh-when did you guys...?" Chris started to ask. Aviva pointed to a shadow, who came out from hiding behind the corner.

"I was starting to wonder where you've been," Ven said with a smirk.

" **Well, the team was not the only ones with an idea for a celebration,"** Storm chuckled mischievously. " **We set everything up as quickly as you rescued those snow owls."**

"Speaking of snow owls, anyone up for a piece of snow owl shaped chocolate cake?" Jimmy offered.

"Ooh! Ooh! I am!" Ventus cheerfully said.

"Taking note… Ventus likes simple celebrations, with chocolate cake," Martin noted everything. "Just to know what to do next year."

"The remaining question is what to do with all these white things," Koki wondered. Chris thought for an isntant.

* * *

Later that night, Klaus and Amelia reunited in Donita's mansion.

"This may not be as perfect as I wish it was… but I hope you like it," Klaus said, as he showed his wife the dress, with all the white stuff decorating it.

"Like it? I love it!" Amelia complimented. "And this wrecked decoration matched perfectly with my personality. This gave me a perfect idea..." Amelia rubbed her hands.

* * *

The father owl arrived with food for his family, as the brothers watched the family, eating some cake.

"Well, not my idea of a perfect birthday, but it's just as great," Ventus pointed out.

"Snow owls rule!" the three bros agreed, as Snowanna was nuzzled by her parents.


	18. Episode 19: Scramble for Zobooland

The Kratt Bros arrived in Hermia's temple.

"You called us, Hermia?" Martin asked. "Wow… what's with your hair?"

"Yes I have, Brothers Kratt," Mother Nature replied. "And that's not important now… there's a certain place that is now in jeopardy," she said. "Animal Junction is in trouble and Zobooland is back."

"Animal Junction? You mean _the_ Animal Junction? Our really special, really awesome, really missed "secret place"?" Martin asked.

"And Zobooland was gone?" Chris wondered. "I thought it was only an imaginary place Zoboo made up."

"But it wasn't. Your friend, Zoboomafoo, has a lot more info than me about it, and perhaps you can ask him later. But now, you remember when you trusted Jackie and Amy to take care of your secret place when it was time for you both to go?"

"How could I forget?" Martin said, sighing. "Saddest day of my life..."

"Apparently, they discovered the portal to Zobooland nearby Animal Junction." Mother Nature picked up a flower from her hair and placed it on the floor, making a screen out of it.

" _The Animal Helpers soon knew about it and started visiting Zoboo and his friends. Until one day, Amy got jealous about Jackie's popularity, especially when she was crowned Guardian/Princess of Zobooland._

 _Full of hatred, Amy surrendered to a secret darkness locked away in the depths of that place. Eventually, Jackie defeated her ex-friend, banishing her to the depths. But before this, she cursed the place with her new dark powers, preventing them to remember most things that happened."_

"Oh, my gosh!" Chris gasped.

"Jackie remained in Zobooland to take care of the place and protect it. But I soon realized she wouldn't be able to do it alone... so I found a way to bring to Animal Junction another old friend of yours. Ms. Allison Baldwin, and her special friend, Ttark."

"All and Ttark are there?" Martin asked.

"Indeed. Anyway... I believe the Nature Guardians could help them with protecting Animal Junction and Zobooland."

"Count on us, Hermia." Chris knelt in respect, being followed by Martin. "We won't disappoint you. And neither HIM." He took out of his pocket a picture of Zoboo with him and Martin.

* * *

In the eastern woodlands, the team followed the two brothers through the trees.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Aviva asked.

"They know this place like the palms of their hands, remember?" Koki replied.

"That's what they say." Suddenly, they saw a white blur jump by.

"What was that?" Jimmy asked in fear.

"Could it be...?" Chris gasped in surprise.

"It must be..." Martin replied. The two broke into a sprint.

"Hey, wait for us!" Mina called behind them. The others hurried to keep up. As they ran, they were shocked by animals from all over the planet nearby. They'll ask the guys once they caught up. The bros finally came to a pair of colorful, double doors. The two took a deep breath, and pushed the doors open.

 **"Great gargling geese! It's the bros!"** A voice was heard from the ceiling.

"Did you hear that?"

"All! Ttark!" the brothers called, rushing over to their friends. Suddenly, a sifaka lemur leaped onto Martin's shoulder. "Zoboo!"

"You mean that talking lemur in the original diary?" Mina asked. "I thought he was gone."

"Jovian was gone," Martin explained. "Zoboo told us once that he needed to protect himself from people with bad intentions, so a lemur about his age was maintained in the human world in his place. After he left to safety, we gave Animal Junction to the Animal Helpers."

"Hmm… He looks normal to us," Koki commented.

"Oh yeah?" Zoboo asked. "By normal, what do you mean exactly? I have a tail, don't I? I can climb, can't I?"

"Okay, okay, sorry. Geez..."

"Same old Zob!" Chris exclaimed.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Zoboo cheered, hugging the Kratt in green. "I missed you sooooo much!" Then, he looked to a certain place. "Plus, I believe there is something you need to help me."

"We know. Hermia informed us," Martin said.

"I bet there's plenty of helpful stuff in the closet," Jimmy stated, walking to the closet door.

 _"He's going to the closet 'cause we're going on a trip..."_ Zoboo sang, knowing what would come next. The brothers chuckled.

"Uh, Jimmy, I wouldn't open it if I were you," Chris warned, though failing to resist chuckling.

"Why not?" Too late. As soon as the door was opened, all sorts of explorer gear came tumbling down on him. The rest of the group stared in shock. The bros laughed.

"That's why," Chris replied. "That brings back good memories."

"No jokes, though. I don't think you would be needing something from the closet. All you need is to follow me," Zoboo explained, jumping to the woods. _"We're going on a cool adventure and we don't know what's in store..."_

* * *

The team followed the jumping lemur. They were amused by the tunes their leaders was humming.

"There's the portal to Zobooland. Guess it's time for you to finally see it," Zoboo said, serious. He jumped into it, and the team followed him.

"Wow..." the brothers commented. There in front of them was a small village, surrounded by colorful trees.

"Geez… we came through that area for a long time, still… we never seen that portal before," Chris commented.

"And here we were believing they were just stories you made up," Martin said.

"You know I never lie. Humans weren't allowed to visit Zobooland due to the fear they would take advantage of its magic. It was only revealed to Amy and Jackie after you guys left. They and the Animal Helpers were the first humans to visit this place. But then… the thing with Amy came."

"Guys!" On the seat of a pillow was a young woman that seemed familiar. "Chris! Martin!"

"Jackie!" They rushed to embrace her. "We missed you very much, buddy!"

"I missed you too, guys. You haven't changed a bit, huh?"

"Well, we can't say the same about you… Guardian of Zobooland," Chris teased. Jackie chuckled, but then, she yawned.

"Wow, you look really tired."

"She is. She's so stubborn in relation to her duty, she barely sleeps or eats to take care of Zobooland," All commented.

"No worry, guys… I'm fine."

"She's NOT fine, and she knows it! That's why Mother Nature called me here. She noticed that Jackie couldn't stand much longer, so I was asked for help," All told them.

" **And let me say… taking care of so many familiars is not easy,"** Ttark commented. " **Especially since they're VERY different from normal animals."**

"Are you saying that all the creatures here are familiars? Even Zoboo? That's why he can talk to us?" Chris asked.

"Rather obvious, actually," Martin thought. "That explains why Animal Junction is so connected to him."

"Zoboo was the protector of Animal Junction assigned by Hermia," Jackie explained. "How old are you again, Zob?"

"How long can familiars live anyway?" Koki asked.

"Uncertain fact. I guess maybe millions of years," Zoboo estimated.

"WHAT?!" the Kratt Brothers shouted.

"Or less… I don't know. You lose your track of time after so much time alone..."

"Sorry about that, buddy," Chris said and patted their old lemur friend. "We wish we could stop by, but we were doubtful and busy."

"I think I understand."

"But now we're here, and the first thing we need to do is search for clues that can lead to a possible answer," Martin decided. "Everyone split up and try getting some answers."

* * *

Martin and Zoboo met Slimantha laying in a rock.

"So.. you really don't remember anything?" The Kratt in blue asked.

"No… Sorry. It really passed so many years?"

"Yes..." Zoboo stated.

"It feels like yesterday..."

* * *

Koki and David tried getting answers from Narchi.

"Come on, are you sure? Not even a single spot?" David asked.

"No… nothing to help. Sorry."

* * *

Clarissa tried asking Cy and Buggly if they could help, but neither of them could help.

Jimmy received a negative nod from Noggendrill, and then looked back to see the mom Zoboomafooasaurus that freaked him out. The baby dinosaur looked in confusion.

Sam ate some berries for a while with Gobble, but didn't get any answers from the famished creature.

Elsa was surprised by Fibby, but got no answer from her. Chris reached her, whispering something to her.

* * *

The team reunited with Chris in the Zobooland Library.

"Wiggy Waxwing told me that there was a book about Zobooland here that could possibly help us," he explained. "But he didn't specify which one it was."

"Wow, look at this one. It's like no one touched it in years." Mina blew off the dust of it, and sneezed silently. "History of Zobooland," she read the cover. "Think this may be the book?"

"Worth to take a look at it," Chris shrugged. He picked it up, and checked on the pages. Suddenly, the answer came to him. "Mina you're amazing!"

"Yeah… I get that a lot," the nymph shied.

* * *

" _It says here that the Zobooland Festival was hosted by the leaders of the first humans that still lived in the land. There were three of them: The Prime Woods Clan, the Zo Mountain Tribe, and The Gifted Crow Horde. Their purpose was to join the nations for a fun time and spread the peace word around Zobooland."_

* * *

"So maybe if we host the Festival… it will lift their spirits and they can remember!" Koki realized.

"And these three leaders look just like… US!" Jimmy noticed, seeing the resemblance in the silhouettes with him, Aviva and Koki.

"Well, guys, guess we know now what to do," Chris decided, showing the main page of the Zobooland Festival chapter.

* * *

The team worked on every detail Chris pointed out: Martin and Clarissa sent the invitations, Koki and Jimmy handled the food, David and Elsa prepared the attractions, Sam and Ventus carried the banners and Mina and Bite-Size helped Jackie and Zoboo to get ready for the event.

Once everything was done, Martin blew his horn from the event's entrance.

"Attention, all of Zobooland! The Zobooland Festival is about to start!" Jackie announced. The Zoboolans looked up to the sound of music and their colors returned.

"Step right up, fellows! Food on this side, drinks over there, the princess and her scepter in the center of the event," Jimmy pointed out.

The Zoboolans were soon enjoying themselves, and started to look more like the way Zoboo knew them.

"Woo-hoo! It's working!" the lemur cheered, doing a back flip. "My friends are returning to who they were before!" Then, Jackie yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Eat something, it will help." All offered her a plate of rainbow berry pie. "And then, go take a nap. I'll take over here."

Jackie couldn't fight no more: she agreed on her proposition. The Kratt Bros and the team were already dressed in their robes and ready. Little did they notice a strange silhouette sliding by the shadows.

* * *

Later, the team kept the Zoboolans entertained, and Sam made some funny things, while the bros watched over Jackie, who was deep asleep.

"She always was the hard worker," Martin commented.

"Yeah," the Earth Guardian agreed. "Some things never change."

" _You two always seemed to like_ her _more,"_ a familiar voice echoed.

"Huh? W-who's there?" Chris called.

" _She was always treated better than me…"_

"That voice..."

" _I had enough of her! Now you'll only cheer for ME!"_ In an instant, the bros felt something push them with powerful strength from the place they were, like a powerful gust of wind, even stronger than Ventus's wind wings flapping. Speaking of Ventus, he went to check on them.

"Hey, bros, you getting…" he started before he noticed they were missing. "Bros?"

* * *

The brothers saw themselves in a black cage.

"Wh-what's going on here?" Chris asked in shock.

"Is this dark energy?" Martin tried to touch the cage, but he felt a small shock. "Ouch!"

Then, a silhouette appeared nearby.

"The first ones are here. Long time no see, huh?" Then, she stepped forward. The brothers recognized that face, even though she did looked older.

"Amy?!" the brothers gasped.

"Finally, someone recognized me. Hello, Brothers Kratt. Looks like time has been generous with you both. You haven't changed a bit."

"Wish I could say that…" Martin commented.

"Yeah, I know. Time has been generous with me and Jackie too. But how does she retribute my friendship and help? Taking all the credits for everything we've done!"

"Speaking about past scars..."

"Well, this will end now when I take the scepter and get my position as rightful princess of Zobooland!" Amy swore.

"Thanks for giving out your entire plan!" Chris commented.

"I spoke that out loud? Dang it! This is soo annoying!" Amy growled. "Anyway, you stay right here, while I go after your friends! Then, it'll be Jackie's turn!" She left, leaving the bros behind.

"Oh, what we can do? We gotta call for help!"

"No can do! The Creaturepod's pure static! We must be underground!"

"And we can't open these bars either." Chris saw the cage bars. Their shadows began to move until they rose up.

" **Uh, hello? What about us?** " Ice asked.

"Oh, right. You gotta get help before Amy captures our friends or gets to the scepter!" Chris said. "We can't pass by these bars, but you can, since you're made of dark energy as well."

" **Well… this cage is pretty resistant to many elements… except air,"** Thorn analyzed. " **I know who to call. You two wait here."**

"Do we have a choice?" Martin commented. The two chuckled a little they slipped through the bars like they were air.

* * *

Ventus paced around Jackie's room, worried. She had just woken up from the more-than-needed sleep.

"Anything? Calls? Messages?"

"No! Not even a duck or a fellow bird!" Zoboo said. He looked at the lemur in confusion. "Long story."

" **Ventus! Ventus!"** a familiar voice called in a panic. Two comes of shadow flew in through the window.

"Ice? Thorn? What happened?" Ventus wondered.

" **Martin and Chris are in trouble!"**

" **They're trapped in the underground in a cage that only you or Aviva can break!"**

"Bros!" Ventus gasped. "Aviva can't join now, cause she's gotta keep the Zoboolans happy. Take me to them now!" The shadows nodded and took off like lightning, and Ventus conjured his wind wings, taking off after them.

Meanwhile, Jimmy, koki, Aviva and the rest of the team were having a hard time trying to keep everyone satisfied.

"I'm running out of food!" Jimmy warned.

"The drinks are almost over!" Aviva said.

"And I don't think Sam can entertain no more!" Koki warned, seeing the mutant teenager tired of making fun things.

"Uh… guys..." Mina looked up, seeing something not right at all: a bunch of dark clouds coming from the horizon.

* * *

Ventus flapped his wings nearby the cage and freed his brothers, and Ice and Thorn returned to their place.

"So Amy will try to get to Jackie's scepter?"

"Not only that, she'll probably get rid of anyone that stands in her way. Precisely, Jackie!"

"Then, we gotta go back up there and take her down!"

"No, Ventus… we gotta make her understand the mistake she's doing… like our girls helped Ice and Thorn, we can try to reach Amy deep down in that shadow form."

"Well… If it worked once… better saying, twice… I know you can do it!" Ventus assured. The brothers held firmly, and the Kratt in white took them out of there.

"To the Zobooland Rescue!"

Up in Zobooland, the team still improved to keep the Zoboolans distracted.

"I managed to make some rainbow berry juice for them, but the ingredients are running low," Jimmy said.

"Can't I stop, guys?!" Sam panted. "I don't think I can take much more!"

"Just a little more, Sammy! We need to avoid them seeing you-know-what!" Mina begged. too late: Sam tripped and all his fun gear fell, making the Zoboolans look right to the danger ahead.

"Agh! It's her!" Wiggy Waxwing shrieked in panic.

"No, not again!" Slimantha gasped.

The Zoboolans got panicked and ran all over the place, as Amy arrived.

"Jackie… where are you?"

"Oh, no..." All gulped.

"Wait, who are you? And what are you doing with MY scepter?!"

" **YOUR scepter?! It's Jackie's scepter!"** Ttark complained.

"Not anymore, dino-pest! Now you two better give me it now, and I promise I'll go easy on you!

"Not on our watch, missy!" Aviva summoned her tessens, Jimmy, his shield and Koki, her spear.

"Oh, please..." She snapped her fingers and a smog like most rolled in, knocking the Guardians out. Right by that instant, the brothers arrived.

"Amy, stop! You don't know what you're doing!" Chris warned. Amy turned to him and Martin. By that moment, Jackie stepped out of her room, and saw her friends in danger. All and Ttark looked at her, and threw the scepter back to the rightful guardian of Zobooland.

Amy tried attacking the Kratt Bros with another cloud of smog, but their eyes changed and they seemed unaffected.

"But how?!" Any gasped. Ventus was surprised, until he saw the shadows on the floor. Ice and Thorn were protecting his brothers. Jackie stood in front, right when Amy was thinking of attacking again.

"Amy, stop," Jackie said, lifting up the scepter. "Look at yourself for a moment. Is that how you plan to be the "rightful princess"? I don't think so..."

"Oh, I missed the way she said that..." Martin whispered to Chris, who agreed.

"I know you feel lonely, abandoned… forgotten… but it's not true. The Zoboolans are in fear, but only because you gave yourself to whatever did this to you." Amy wanted to answer, but as the scepter glowed near her, she felt... immobilized.

"It's working!" Chris saw Jackie's scepter reacting to Amy's dark aura.

"Please, Amy… Come back to us all. We miss you… I miss you..." Jackie said, touching her friend's shoulder with the scepter.

"Friends! Amy needs us! Let's show that we all care for her!" Zoboo led his familiar friends. "We care!" he said, repeating.

"We care!" they chanted.

Concentrating the bit of cheer they had, they helped undoing all the damage she caused, officially restoring Amy back to who she was before. The bros, seeing the job was done, made the trap disappear.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." Amy sobbed in Jackie's arms, regretful of her actions.

"Mission accomplished. Amy's back to normal, and so is Zobooland." Chris looked behind them, seeing Zoboo reuniting happily with all his friends.

"And you two... Nice job," Ventus congratulated Ice and Thorn with a smile. The shadows smiled.

"I still don't get why Hermia always said you were bad," Chris commented. "You've been helping us a lot."

 **"Darkness has always been persecuted... ever since she took the throne,"** Ice said.

 **"But Darkness is in everyone. One day, it's going to smack her… and she won't be able to stop it,"** Thorn assured. Chris thought about those words.

* * *

Back at Animal Junction, Jackie and Amy celebrated the restoration of Zobooland and Amy's return.

"I can't thank you enough for opening my eyes." Amy smiled. "And don't worry, because me and Jackie will protect Animal Junction from these Predators."

"We hope so." Martin smiled.

"It was great to go on another adventure with you two after so long," Zoboo said, hugging Chris. "And I'm happy to see you're both in good hands."

"Same to you, Zob. It's still shocking that you were a familiar all this time and we never put the pieces together," Chris commented.

"But you and your friends will not be lonely anymore," Martin promised. "We've sent registrations for Animal Junction to the wild Kratts Kids, and they confirmed to visit you as soon as they can."

"This would be great!" All agreed. "With Jackie and Amy back in Zobooland to take care of everything, I'll need all the help..." she was saying, until she opened the closet and everything fell on top of her. "... I can get."

The team chuckled. Bite-Size whistled to them, with a Creaturepod in his human hands. Jackie, Martin, Chris and Zob then reunited with the team.

"Say Mangatsika!"

"Mangatsika!"

By that instant, _click_! A picture of all the fellows was there.

 _This animal is a friend of mine_

 _With the tip of his nose to his funny behind_

All and the brothers organized the place, while the team welcomed some Wild Kratt Kids to Animal Junction.

 _All the friends, that we met today_

 _Are special in their own way_

In Zobooland, the Zoboolans returned to their normal lives, while Jackie and Amy proudly stared at everything from their thrones.

 _We've all got different names, but we're really all the same_

Ventus surprised his brothers from behind, and Zoboo surprised him.

 _Thanks for droppin' by_

 _We're glad you ca-ame_

Koki was about to open the closet, until Jimmy stepped forward, opening it for her. Surprisingly, nothing fell off until Koki stepped aside. The brothers laughed again when Jimmy popped out with a boot on his head.

 _These animals are friends of mine_

 _They jump and swing, crawl, fly and climb_

 _One more thing we have to say_

The Wild Kratts Kids adored Animal Junction, and took many pictures and shot many videos, spreading the words about Zobooland to all the agents around the world.

 _Go make an animal friend today! Yeah!_

The message in video ended with the bros and Zoboo together.

Observing everything from her fountain, Hermia smiled at them, not suspecting a bit about how they did it.

The team, by the end of the day, entered the Tortuga to leave. From Animal Junction's window, All, Ttark, Jackie and Amy waved to them, and so did Zoboomafoo.

"Good-bye, guys!" Chris called.

"We'll see you on the creature trail!" Martin added. With that, the Tortuga lifted off and left the forest.

"Some things never change..." Jackie commented, with a chuckle.


	19. Episode 20: Forest Treasure Hunt

The morning light entered the Tortuga HQ's window. This time, the North American Forest was their current location.

The sound of mosquito buzzing woke up Bite-Size inside his bat box. Clearly, it was breakfast time. The bat yawned, and prepared to take off. As he crawled out though, two hands covered his eyes.

"Hey!" he complained. With his hearing, he could hear snickers and giggles.

"Now, hold on, Brownie Boy," his best friend Koki assured. "I want you to count to three. Can you do that?"

There was no other way.

"One… two… three?" Koki opened her hands.

"SURPRISE! Happy birthday, Bite-Size!" The bat stared in awe at the Tortuga-turn-party room. The whole crew was there.

"Wow! Is this all for me?!"

"Sure, silly. In bat age, you would be today, like, 3 years old," Koki explained. "But Luna told me that your closure to Aphrodite's medallion altered your lifespan status. To remain talking as a human, you're now technically aging at our speed."

Bite-Size assumed his human form, placing the medallion on his neck.

"So… how old, exactly, in human years?"

"I would say... nine years. Thrice as old as you are in bat years."

"Wow. I'm one year older than Mina!" he chuckled, as he rushed to embrace Koki.

"And that's not the only surprise we have for today, buddy," she told him, as he looked around. The room was now deserted.

"Hey… where did everybody just go?"

"Why don't you find out?" Koki held up a message orb. Bites pressed the side button.

 _"Happy birthday, our favorite little brown bat!"_ Aviva's hologram exclaimed. _"To celebrate this amazing day, we have set up a challenge and quest for you! We chose five different rendezvous locations in the North American Forest, each with five different creatures. Can you find us in each place and also find the creatures we're with?"_

"Ooo, a birthday treasure hunt! Bring it on, team!" Bites jumped in excitement.

"We were hoping you would say that," Koki replied.

" _In case of an affirmative answer, direct yourself for the Tortuga's shell. Good luck, Bitesy."_ The hologram turned off.

"Okay, let's head on up." Bite-Size brought back his wings.

"Ah ah ah," Koki interrupted. "There's two rules for this quest. You can only be either full bat or full human, and you can't be more than half a kilometer away from your partner… Moi."

"I'm okay with both. If there was someone I would like to spend time with on my birthday, it's my best-friend/big sister, Koki."

"Such a sweetie." The girl Fire Guardian ruffled his hair. "Come on. Let's go up the old fashioned way." Bites took her hand and the two walked to the door to the stairs.

* * *

The two came to the balcony.

"Okay, Bitesy, the first clue is nearby. Think you can find it?"

"With human eyes, easy." The bat-turn-human looked through the flowers. "Ah! Found it!" He pulled the sphere out of a patch of violets. A hologram of Clarissa came up.

 _"Hey, Bites. Here's your first hint. I hunt, but I don't hurry. I sleep on the ground, but not in the ground. And I follow a leader. Follow these clues to find me and Elsa with the first creature. See you there."_ End the recording.

"Hmm... let's see. If it hunts, it's obviously a carnivore, animals that eat just meat. But if it doesn't hurry, it must be one with endurance. It sleeps on the ground, which means it's not a bird of prey. But it doesn't live underground, so not a creature like a mole. And if it follows a leader, it's a social creature. So... it's a wolf!"

"You know your creatures very well, Bite-Size."

"And we are near Howler's den. So let's go find it!" The hologram came back up.

 _"Oh, one more thing. You must get to each creature with only the equipment provided."_ The message ended.

"Okay, there's _three_ rules," Koki corrected herself.

"So how will we get to the den from here?"

"Right there." Koki pointed to the zip line.

"Oh boy! I always wanted to ride the zip line!" Bites grabbed the helmet that was placed nearby and Koki helped him into his harness.

"Hang on to that necklace!" He made sure to tuck the medallion into his shirt before zipping off.

"WOO-HOOOOO!" The two zipped through the trees. "Hey! I see the den! 1 o' clock!" He didn't look ahead fast enough to see a mattress tied to a tree, which he rammed into. "Must be my stop."

"Let me help you down, Bite-Size." Koki unfastened herself and helped him get back onto his feet. The best friends headed to the cave with the wolf pack.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Koki asked.

Bites gave a howl to signal the pack, and prepared his ears to hear anything. A howl was soon heard, and a familiar alpha wolf came out to check the outside.

"Hey there, Howler! Remember us?" The wolf howled and walked up calmly to them. Another wolf followed, then by Elsa.

"You made it!" Clarissa in her wolf form congratulated. "We knew you would get here. Nice job." She nuzzled him.

"And he figured it out all by himself," Koki added. "My little Brownie Boy is very smart."

The wolf pups started coming out. One of them had another sphere.

"Here's the next clue," Elsa stated. Bites retrieved the orb. The hologram that came up was David.

 _"Well done, birthday bat boy. Looks like the first was a breeze. But don't let yourself get cocky. This will get harder as the day continues."_

"I know. If it got easier, then I would be worried." The hologram chuckled.

 _"Okay. Time for the second hint. This creature likes all kinds of things. It doesn't fly, but lives in the trees with their young. And you don't even know it's around. They're that smart. Sam and I adore these ones, and we will be waiting for you. In plain sight, but you won't see us."_ The message winked before turning off.

"Wow, that's a toughy, right?" Then, they saw Elsa and Clarissa were gone. "Elsa? Clarissa?"

"Come on, Brownie Boy. We still have four creatures to find, and we have the whole day to solve this treasure hunt." Koki grabbed Bites' hand.

* * *

An hour passed. In his bat form now, Bite-Size snacked on some yummy mosquitoes, as he remembered the clues.

"Okay. This guy likes all kinds of things… but in what sense?" he remembered as he munched.

"Don't talk as you chew, buddy," Koki giggled. Bites swallowed. "He must mean an omnivore, animals that eat almost anything."

"Oh, that makes sense now," he understood. "It lives in the trees... so it's not a coyote or a bear."

"And it lives with its babies, but it's not a bird or a bat. And he said that you won't even know it's there. Or where David and Sam are for that matter."

"And it's smart. Hmmm... an omnivore creature that lives in the trees with its babies that has stealth and brains..."

Then, they saw something moving in the bushes. Bites went to look, but didn't find anything. He did however notice a striped tail go over the bushes.

"Where have I seen that tail before?" he wondered. Then, it hit him. "Of course! Come on, Koki! I know where to go!"

"Now you sound more excited than me!" Koki chuckled. "However."

"However?"

"Look what's right here." Koki moved some leaves, revealing a deactivated Miniaturizer, the Batronicus and the Butterflier XT. "Guess it's time to make use of the third rule, buddy."

"Never rode the Butterflier before. And I just ate," Bites feared a bit.

"Don't worry. I'll drive the Butterflier." Koki miniaturized and hopped into the pilot seat. "You can handle the Batronicus." Bites in human form went mini size.

"Hey, there's something in my seat." Koki pulled out another message orb. A hologram of Sam came up.

 _"Just a heads up, you better take the Miniaturizer with you,"_ the mutant informed. _"You will need it once you complete this part of the quest."_ The recording ended.

"Okay… but how will we transport it?"

"Here's how." The two secured the shrunken Miniaturizer between the two vehicles with a rope.

"Alright, Brownie Boy. Let's take flight. The treasure hunt's just beginning."

The duo started taking off slowly so Bites could get used to the controls.

* * *

Flying around the branches, they observed the trees closely.

"How hard is it to find a teenager with a shark tail?" Bites complained.

"Let's land for a moment. Right at... that tree!" Koki pointed to a specific tree. The two landed on a branch. The kid noticed something weird about this tree.

"Hmm... Why does this tree have grey leaves? Is it sick? Wait. David said they'd be in plain sight, but we won't see them..." He heard a high pitched sound. Changing into bat form, he flew up to a knothole in the tree. A masked face poked out, scaring him. A laugh followed his squeak.

"Sam?" The mutant laughed again as he removed his raccoon mask. Four real raccoons stuck their heads out too. "And here's the raccoon family!"

"Congratulation, buddy! You found the forest's ninjas!" David's voice was heard.

"Is David in there?"

"Actually, we're on him," Sam corrected with a chuckle.

"Huh?"

"Can I deactivate now?" Bite-Size looked down the tree and saw David's face in the side of the tree. "Asked Aviva for this power suit after reading the Blue and The Grey story. It was perfect for the occasion. But the raccoons tickle." Sam was suddenly tackled by Momma Raccoon.

"Whoa, easy mom! The game is over! You can put your grabby hands to the side now!" Bites and Koki laughed, as they came out of the knothole and climbed down. Sam made sure to hit the deactivation button on David's suit. However, another sphere that was hiding in his branches landed on his head.

"Ow!" The group laughed again. Bites got back to real size and picked up the sphere.

"I'm getting the hang of it. Okay, what's next?"

A hologram came up as M.A.T.I. and Jimmy. The message clapped.

 _ **"You're doing great, pal! Time for the next creature hint!"**_

"I repeat, bring it on."

 _ **"They can live in groups or live alone. It depends on the type. One can eat crustaceans and one can eat others of its family."**_ The message ended.

"Hmm..." That was a toughy. Koki and Bites put their heads together to think. "Wait… wasn't there a kind of fish that did this?"

"Yeah… bass! Largemouths and smallmouths!" Koki snapped her fingers. "So our next stop is to the lake."

"Let's get normal size then. Wouldn't like to be mesed with a fish bait," Bites suggested.

"I'm with ya, Brownie Boy," Koki agreed. Once normal sized, they picked up their mini vehicles and rushed to the lake.

* * *

In the lake, Bite-Size and Koki used the Amphisub to look for bass underwater.

"Smallmouth group nearby." Koki observed everything. "But no holographic sphere to be seen."

"Well, if we don't find one with the smallmouths, maybe we can have a chance of finding with the largemouths."

"So let's hurry. They eat fish, so I fear they can eat the spheres by accident!"

"Good point!" Bites rushed to the controllers. "Look! There's a largemouth!"

"Hey, I know that largemouth! It's Gulpa!" Koki said. "And there's the sphere!" She saw it nearby.

"Uh-oh! She's really close to it!" Bites feared. "We gotta reach it before her!"

"Luckily they left my CPS and the bass power disk here," Koki pointed out. "I'm on it!" Once with the gear on, Koki put her hands out to touch a smallmouth nearby. "Activate Bass Powers!" Once she fully activated, Bites opened up the Amphisub for her to dive.

Koki dove as fast as she could. "Got it!" However, she was still smaller than Gulpa.

"Oh, no! Gulpa won't recognize koki in that bass suit! I gotta do something!" Then, he called for a voice amplifier, and morphing to bat form, squeaked on it. The sound startled Gulpa and called Koki's attention.

"Phew, that was close. thanks, Bites!"

"No problemo! Now let's get up!" Bites brought the Amphisub up to the surface, being followed by her. Then, another Bass Power fellow approached them.

"Nice job, Batty Duo!" Jimmy greeted them. "I tried to get M.A.T.I. to get in this suit, but she was afraid she could get short-circuited."

" **What? These parts are electrical!"** the A.I., who was seated on the dock, argued. " **So what'd ya think of the bass, Bites?"**

"They're really cool! I got now why Gavin likes fishing for them. Just wish they weren't always so… snacky." The grown ups chuckled.

"Go ahead and play that orb, buddy," Jimmy told him. As soon as he pressed the button, Aviva's hologram returned, this time, with Mina by her side.

" _Nice job, buddy!"_ The hybrid smiled. " _You're doing really great! Now, for the next clue. Are you ready?"_

Bites nodded in approval, and so did Koki.

" _Okay. This creature is specialized in one thing: constructing! Its teeth don't stop growing and it swims very well, and its house helped to build other creatures' houses,"_ Aviva gave the clues. " _Follow the river and you'll find it."_

"Wow. It really gets harder as we follow," Koki commented.

"That's what makes it fun, right?" Bites chuckled. Then, he saw that either Jimmy or M.A.T.I. were there. "Okay, this is starting to get annoying… but it's also very intriguing..."

* * *

Following the river, they ended up finding an island of sticks in the middle of a huge pond.

"Okay… let's review the clues: its house helped to build other creatures' homes… its teeth never stop growing..." Koki analyzed it.

"Whoa. Is that what I think it is?" Bite-Size wondered, setting the sub next to the pile.

"Wanna go in?" Koki asked.

"Um, sure. Good thing there's a mask back here." Once he grabbed a mask, he hopped on Koki and they swam in through the secret entrance.

" _Amigos_ , over here!" a miniaturized Aviva called.

"Ha! I knew it: it was beavers! Its den helped to build the lake, where many creatures live, like otters, frogs and fish!"

"Nice job, buddy," Mina chuckled. "Not you though, Buddy." She caressed the beaver pup since she was still normal size. Twig rolled over another messaging orb.

"This is the last one." Bites activated the sphere. Chris's hologram came up.

" _Alright, you're almost there! Just one more to go! And it may be the toughest of all! Ya ready?"_

"Do I need to answer?" Bites chuckled. The hologram changed into Martin.

" _This last creature is small, fast, and a great insect hunter!"_ Ventus came up on the hologram.

" _More than what media portrays, and one of our greatest friends as well!"_

Bites paid attention, but somehow… it seemed really hard.

"Wow.. that's a toughy alright," he mumbled in thought.

"By the way, they wanted us to give you this," Aviva pointed out. She tossed Koki a Power Disk. She smirked at the picture on the front.

"Bites, it's time to fly," she told him.

* * *

The sun was setting in the horizon. Koki flew around the forest with her Bat Suit. Bite-Size ran after her, and was starting to get tired.

"Wow, this treasure hunt's been fun. I can't believe we're on the last creature! But I don't know, seems harder now."

"Not for me," his best friend replied. "I know exactly what they're talking about." She flew ahead of her friend.

"Uh? Koki, wait!" Bites rushed after her. "We can't be that far from each other, remember?" Too late: she disappeared. Bites eventually stopped to catch his breath. He then looked up, to see: a split in a half dead tree?

"Hey… I recognize this place..." He climbed up the trunk, and looked through it. "This was… my old home…" The bat-turn-human than noticed something on the part that was still standing. "Why's there a mirror in here?" He wondered. Then, he took a closer look. "*gasp* Wait a second..." He turned to his bat form. "It's ME! The little brown bat!"

"You're right!" an uproar of cheer startled him. He turned around to see the team in Bat suits (except Sam for DNA safety measures), all his size! "Surprise!"

"Ah-ha-ha! You guys are just awesome!" Bites flew around the team like crazy. "I can't believe I didn't notice this earlier!"

"What do you know? He did take a while to remember. I owe you a power suit," Aviva pointed out to the Kratt Bros.

"Hm… but I gotta ask." Bite-Size stopped flying for a moment. "Why picking me? why picking the brown bat?"

"Well… remember a while ago, when you were worried that your battiness was disappearing, due to the constant contact with Aphrodite's medallion?" Koki told him.

 _*flashback*_

" _Well, as I noticed your birthday was arriving, checking on your DNA, I told the team about this and we all decided to use this treasure hunt to test both your human and bat side. And you did surprise us: your bat side spoke really loud during this whole hunt."_

"Even though you may be aging now as a human, neither you or us will ever forget your roots. Your battiness is and will always be by your side," Koki assured, as the team left the tree to get back to normal size with the Miniaturizer.

"Aw, I love you guys!" Bite-Size returned to his human form to hug them. Koki was the first one to embrace him.

"We love you too, Brownie Boy. Never forget that." The team joined in the hug.

* * *

Later by that night, another party was hosted around that area. A party filled with bat-themed decorations and lights. The team danced around, having a good time.

" _This sure was a birthday I'll never, EVER forget. The Forest Treasure Hunt was pretty fun, and it tested a bunch of my knowledge. But you know the best gift I received today?"_ Bite-Size wrote in the Wild Kratts Diary sitting in a corner. " _The love and caring of my friends. Today, they made me realize that although many things changed in my life since I joined them, the roots of my existence will always remain the same. And this brown bat will never forget where he came from, and how lucky he is of having friends like these."_

Then, Koki called his attention. She gave him something to put on the dead tree: a picture of the team and him in his original form, to place on it. This way, Bites would have one more assurance of his origins. He picked it up and with her help, placed it right in front of this old home.

"Koki?"

"Hm?"

"Can we come back here for my next birthday?"

"Anytime, buddy. Anytime," Koki replied, with a warm smile, before kissing his forehead.

"Hey, the cake and bugs are waiting!" Mina called. The two chuckled and rushed to join in the fun. This was sure the best birthday of Bites' life. One that he would NEVER forget.


	20. Episode 21: Return of the Monster Lemur

In the forest of Madagascar, the Tortuga rested in a clearing.

"No! Way!" two voices yelled, scaring off some birds.

"Come on, you two," Aviva begged the Kratts in blue and green. They had their arms crossed and noses in the air. "All we want is to show the rest of the team our cute mouse lemur friend. And I insist, you're being silly. He's not a monster."

"Forget it," Martin replied. "I am not going out there miniaturized so I can get eaten."

"Count me out as well," Chris agreed. "No way, Jose."

"Does it really get that ferocious?" Ventus asked.

"Understatement of the century, bro," Chris commented. "We passed through a lot during the Mini Madagascar adventure, but the mouse lemur was the biggest of our worries."

"Don't listen to them, VK, they're just exaggerating," Koki assured.

"We are NOT exaggerating!" the two snapped, making her flinch.

"Guys, calm down. I can't assume anything before seeing it with my own eyes, remember?" Mina said, stepping up to the Miniaturizer.

"Fine, don't blame us if you get eaten," Martin commented.

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous, you guys," Aviva groaned. "You two are being real Kokis. Uh… no offense."

"None taken," Koki pouted.

"Anyway, if you're so convinced, you can watch the mouse lemur real size so nothing bad happens. _If_ it happens. Deal?" The two sighed.

"Deal," they huffed.

"It's been a while since we used the Miniaturizer," Clarissa commented. "It's all covered in dust." She blew the dust off. Sam and David coughed a bit. Mina sneezed silently. "Oops. Sorry."

"We're fine," Sam assured. Clarissa laid the Miniaturizer on the floor and it activated.

"All aboard to the tiny world of Madagascar!" Aviva called. "Miniaturize!" After several flashes, the whole team except David, Aviva, M.A.T.I., Chris and Martin were mini size. The A.I. helped the group over to the window.

"We'll be right there!" David informed. He ran to the door, followed by the four adults (A.I. included). Martin and Chris took their buzz bike helmets, just in case they needed protection.

* * *

A familiar jet flew over the ocean.

"Klaus, _meine liebe_ , our next stop is near," Amelia warned.

"Excellent. Amelia, you'll not regret coming here. Madagascar carries a variety of creatures, that in my belief will make as gorgeous living coats to my mother as ferocious predators to our army."

"If only you-know-who don't appear to ruin everything..."

"If they do, our Predators will smell them." Klaus pointed out. "The upgrade on the serum was a complete success."

"Agreed." Amelia smiled. "So turn on the radar and let's find the perfect creature for both our needs."

"you heard my wife, Otto. Turn the radar on!" Klaus demanded, and Otto obeyed.

* * *

Chris and Martin followed the mini crew around the woods.

"I can't believe they really convinced us to do this," Martin muttered.

"At least it's day light, so we can see better," Chris pointed out.

"Guys! Look at this!" they heard Elsa's voice, and followed it. Once they found the mini team, they gasped at the sight: there, in front of them all, was a full colony of mouse lemurs.

"Aww..." Aviva squealed. "So many cuties..."

"Oh boy, one monster lemur was bad enough, but a whole colony of them?!" Chris complained.

"Brothers, stop being so hypocritical," Clarissa said. "Those cuties can't be monsters. Look at how peaceful they are."

"We're not being hypocritical, young lady," Martin replied. "We're just trying to prevent you from becoming lunch."

"Aw, come on, guys. Look at them. They're so pacific to each other." Mina observed the mouse lemurs. "I can't really believe they're THESE monsters you say so much."

"Hey, there's our mouse lemur!" Aviva pointed to the one walking up to them. "Hey, little buddy! Remember me?" The mouse lemur turned to Aviva and climbed on her arm. "Martin, how come you never named him?"

"Oh, no! I am NOT naming that little monster!" Martin snapped. "Not after what he tried doing to us!"

"Martin, do you see what's going on here? You and the girls just changed places," Mina commented. "You're always into giving creatures a chance, while they're almost always into judging by covers. You did this way less than they did. Even though by some reason you may be right, you also gave many ferocious predators names."

"Little sister, we RODE on that monster lemur and nearly got eaten by it! Twice!" Martin complained.

"So? I nearly got eaten, got wounded, and also nearly got smashed by predators, and this didn't stop me from naming them! I'm sorry for saying this, but you're being as hypocritical as Koki! No offense," Mina said.

"None taken. Again," Koki pouted.

"Hate to admit it, bro… but Mina does have a point," Chris thought for a moment. "MAYBE I am being too judgemental..." He felt a little bad.

"Chris!" Martin exclaimed. Then, the team stared at him. "Okay, okay! You guys win!" he huffed in frustration. "If he's to be named ANYTHING, it would be Jekyll Hyde! No exceptions!"

"Jekyll Hyde? Those two guys in that old horror story?" David asked, picking up the tiny primate. "I'm not so sure." Then, a hoverfly flew close. The Time Guardian witnessed first hand the beast in the ball of fluff. He gulped. "Or you're spot on."

"Told you!" Martin pointed out.

"Still, that was pretty cool. I mean, what a way to hunt," David stated. "He's one good fighter." Chris smiled, agreeing.

"Oh, now you're praising him?" Martin asked as if the teen was crazy.

"Martin, don't you remember? We saw this in the Mini Madagascar adventure too," Chris stated.

" _He did wrestle a huge hissing cockroach in an impressive way. If I wasn't so scared for all of that adventure..."_

"I pretty much would like to see an attack like that. It's to be compared to a kangaroo fight, with his body and arms, but not always using his tail. Plus, he's a pretty fast climber too, considering we rode him twice. So he may be a ferocious predator, but I have to agree. You're being severely hypocritical."

Martin grunted loudly. Jekyll suddenly jumped to Chris's shoulder. The brunette scratched the little lemur under the chin.

"But, bro-"

"Ah, blah-blah! Not a word. Now that the fear is GONE, I'm really curious to learn more about Jekyll Hyde here," Chris pointed out, caressing the mouse lemur's head. "I'm sorry, little buddy. Please, show me your ways."

"Yes, Jekyll Hyde, show us what you can do," David asked.

"Urgh, I'm outta here," Martin groaned in frustration and decided to go for a stroll away from the group.

* * *

The evil couple grew impatient with the creatures.

"We found the creatures for the coats, but no perfect ones for predator transformation," Amelia complained. "Only strange-looking monkeys with features that sure won't be useful..."

"Wait! Turn this image back," Klaus asked Otto. "There! Perfect."

"These critters?" Amelia thought it was strange.

"Amelia, these are known as mouse lemurs, cute small creatures, but ferocious as well. They have a perfect attack and a quick leap. A very good improving that Predators need."

Amelia analyzed the info on Klaus's computer. He was right. Her Predators needed those abilities.

"Small yet dangerous... the perfect features for a new army of Predators!" She smiled. "Klaus, send the Predators to find the maximum of mouse lemurs. I have some syringes to prepare..." She looked at her chemistry set.

* * *

Martin was pouting all around the forest. Using that time to reflect, he picked up the Wild Kratts Diary in his backpack. He looked at all the adventures where he was nearly eaten.

The blonde noticed after a while, that Mina was right. Even though he passed through very dangerous situations with many predators, he still gave them all names. Could Mina be right after all? Was he been all that time a bit hypocritical?

Then, his thoughts were interrupted by the team's screams.

"Guys?" Martin decided to go see what was happening.

* * *

The team observed in shock as Jekyll Hyde's monster side was revealed in a fight with a hissing cockroach.

"Well… at least you see what me and Chris saw," Martin commented sternly. "Jekyll Hyde's monster side."

"Okay, okay. You were right, Martin. Mouse lemurs ARE predatory creatures, and we should have listened to you all along!" Koki complained, pouting. "Happy?"

"Well… I've been thinking… and I wouldn't say I was completely right," Martin admitted. "In fact… you were right, Mina. I was being hypocritical… a LOT."

"Oh..." Koki said.

"Good to hear." Mina smiled.

"Oh my Muses," Aviva muttered, watching Jekyll's feral side, as he defeated the hissing cockroach.

"Who could've known that such a cute thing could be so dangerous?" Jimmy pointed out. "Although we do have Koki by our side."

"Aw..." She blushed.

"Yeah… he IS a ferocious predator. Still, you can't deny he is pretty cute," Aviva told him. "And I gotta admit this predatory power is a perfect defense for a future adventure."

"Yeah… I agree. Let's just agree in a tie. A winning combination of cuteness and ferocity." Martin smiled. Jekyll Hyde wandered around. "Guess it's time for one more miniaturization."

Martin placed the team on the floor and miniaturized himself.

"Welcome back," Aviva commented before miniaturizing too.

"Thanks. And thanks for putting up with me, guys. Can't believe I've been such a Koki. Uh… no offense."

"None taken. I'm used to it," Koki assured, not pouting anymore.

"Hey, who doesn't doubt a point of view sometimes?" Aviva commented. "Story of our life."

Suddenly, they heard movement behind them. There was a huge forest leech. The two screamed, latching onto each other.

Unexpectedly, Jekyll Hyde leaped in between them and bared his teeth at the leech. The two went into a fight with one another.

At that instant, Klaus's jet flew overhead.

"Is that...?" Sam noticed.

Martin and Aviva observed as Jekyll Hyde hid from the jet. The leech sensed another creature and decided to leave. Once the noisy jet was gone, Jekyll Hyde popped out of his hideout.

"I knew you were a nice creature," she said, hugging the mouse lemur. "You may be a ferocious furball, but you were by our side all along. My hero!" The lemur suddenly yelped. She gasped at seeing a wound on his hand.

"Oh, my. That's the price for saving us, right? Didn't know leeches could hurt a lemur." Martin pet the creature. Jekyll was at first unsure, but gave him a sniff and nudged him with his nose.

"Well, not always the predators win the battle." Aviva kissed the lemur's boo-boo.

"Nothing that a bandage can't cure," Mina commented.

"Guys? Where are you?" Chris's voice was heard.

"Hello? Anyone there?" David called as well.

"Down here, guys! We have an injured Creature Pal and we think we just saw Klaus's jet!" Martin warned.

"Klaus?" David gasped.

"Creature Pal?" Chris smiled to hear that.

"Long story, but not a good time. Let's get back to normal size and to the Tortuga!" Martin said.

"M.A.T.I., do you think you can stay by the mouse lemur home tree in case we need additional info?" Aviva asked.

" **Your order, sister."** The A.I. winked.

* * *

Amelia and Klaus prepared everything for their experiments.

"Serum, check. Hunters, check. Helmets, check," Klaus marked.

"Everything's ready. Otto, unleash the Predators and find us the mouse lemurs!" Amelia ordered, lifting up her whip. The Predators ran out of the plane.

* * *

Back in the Tortuga, the team watched happily how Martin really managed to change his attitude.

"There you go, buddy." Martin bandaged Jekyll Hyde's paw. "And... I'm sorry, you know… for everything." He heard the little creature make a chatter like sound, as it nuzzled his cheek.

"Good to have you back. Not that you went somewhere but..." the mutant commented.

"We got it, Sam," Martin chuckled.

"Uh… forget what I said then."

"There he goes again," Ventus teased. "This will never be the new "living free and in the wild", you know." Sam growled. The crew laughed.

Suddenly, their Creaturepod alarms went off.

 **"Creature Alert! Creature Alert!"** M.A.T.I. warned, her head appearing on the small screens. **"The mouse lemur colony is gone!"**

"What?! All of them?!" Aviva gasped. "How!?"

 **"I'm so sorry! I turn my head for one second and now they're gone!"**

"It's normal for mouse lemurs to leave home base for a while, but not all at once!" Chris commented.

 **"Wait! Picking up something on inner radar! Sending radar to Tortuga!"**

"Got it, girl!" Koki confirmed. The image appeared in the screen. "Klaus and Amelia! And their Predators! They're taking the mouse lemurs!"

"I knew that jet was familiar!" Aviva said. "In their hands, the mouse lemurs' predatory side will be used for no good!"

Jekyll Hyde saw his family on the screen, trapped in a cage. This was enough to make him leap out the window.

"Jekyll, wait!" Martin called. "You can't go there by yourself!"

"And he will not!" Aviva was just done with the Mouse Lemur Disks. "All for everyone!" She picked up some of the mouse lemur's fur.

"Activate Mouse Lemur Powers!" The CPS wielders activated their new powers. Once fully transformed, they leaped through the window.

"Let's go, guys! Jekyll Hyde's family needs us! To the Mouse Lemur Rescue!" Martin leaded the crew.

"Our Martin's really back!" Chris commented. As they left, Sam, Clarissa, Elsa and David waved to them, wishing good-luck.

* * *

Amelia and Klaus managed to enter the plane and were more than ready to work.

"Bring in the first subject." Before the geneticist could inject the mutation serum in the mouse lemur, something slammed into the side of the jet, causing it to shake. Amelia lost her grip and the syringe broke on the floor.

"What was that?" Klaus wondered. Amelia looked out the window. There was someone grabbing the plane's wing.

"A gremlin!" she said. "No wait, more than one!"

"Stop right there, you nutty scientists!" Aviva alerted, as the team appeared by the plane's entrance.

"The Wild Kratts!" Klaus growled. "Won't they ever take a break from stopping our brilliant schemes?"

"You two can't do this to the mouse lemurs!" Chris proclaimed.

"Why not? That's so our style!" Amelia said.

"But like all lemurs, they must live free and in the wild!" Aviva pointed out. "You can't do this to these cute, ferocious creatures!"

"Enough! _Soldaten! Angriff mit all Ihren Wut!_ " The Predators reported for duty.

"Uh… what did she..." Jimmy asked via Creaturepod to David.

"'Soldiers! Attack with all your fury!'" David translated.

"Oh, thanks."

"I didn't know you spoke German," Clarissa said.

"You pick it up a bit when you're constantly fighting a German geneticist for four years in an apocalyptic future timeline."

"Hush! The fight started," Elsa pointed out. "Go, Team Mouse Lemur!"

Team Mouse Lemur attacked with leaps and pushed the Predators. Meanwhile, Aviva, with Jekyll Hyde on her shoulder, managed to free the critters.

"Run, fellow mouse lemurs! Run as fast as you can!" she said. Amelia faced her. "Uh-oh." The mouse lemur, seeing his friend in danger, growled at Amelia and leaped on to her. "Jekyll Hyde, no!" The brave little primate bit the scientist on her arm, making her yelp in pain.

"Get off me, you little pest! I kidnapped once your enormous family of little monsters, I can do it again! One less won't make a difference!" Amelia growled, forcefully grabbing the mouse lemur, and whipping it away, throwing him out of the plane. This called Martin's attention.

"Jekyll Hyde!" Martin shouted in horror. The team gasped at the incident.

*BG music: Matchbook Romance - Monsters*

"Amelia..." Martin muttered, his tone filled with anger.

The air got cold, despite the warm climate of the rain forest. The team knew what that meant.

"Uh… Martin?" Koki wondered.

The swimming brother stood up slowly. Suddenly, he seemed to growl like a mouse lemur.

"Did he just growl?" Jimmy asked, a bit spooked.

"Just a theory…. but if you mix Martin's love and care for creatures with creature powers, and add the pain of a friend he cherishes so much, you have..." Chris felt he knew what was about to happen.

Martin lift up his head, growling. His pupils were huge and he growled like a mouse lemur.

"A Monster Mode!" Aviva agreed with Chris. "I did not program that in there."

"Uh..." Amelia and Klaus did not like the icy look in his eyes. "P-Predators! _Armee! Hilfe ihr Master!"_ The predators promptly accepted the challenge, facing Martin all at once. In response, Martin growled and fought.

"Wow, the mouse lemur features are acting pretty fast on Martin!" Aviva analyzed. "The leaping ability, the hunting, even the fighting!"

"Well, he won't fight alone!" Chris assured, concentrating his anger of the situation, and activating his own Monster Mode.

In moments, the Predators were all whimpering on the floor. At that defeat's sight, Chris calmed down.

"Wow, David was right. This Monster Mode was pretty useful." Then, he saw his brother stepping forward in Klaus and Amelia's direction. "Uh-oh."

Amelia and Klaus stepped back, seeing Martin, still in Monster Mode, growling at them. Before the Kratt in blue could pounce on Klaus, Chris grabbed his tail and pushed him out of the plane, as the team ran from the plane. Amelia and Klaus didn't waste time in flying away.

"Okay, we've seen enough monsters for now! But we'll be back, Wild Kratts!" Klaus swore before closing the plane's door.

The Monster Mode Kratt in blue tried reaching the plane, but his little brother stood in front.

"Martin, stop!" He touched his head, calling his attention. "It's okay. Everything's fine. They're gone. It's all over."

The Kratt in blue growled for a bit, before coming to his senses. The team sighed in relief. David and the rest of the crew arrived, seeing the jet flying away.

"Woo-hoo! You did it! The mouse lemur colony is safe!" Elsa cheered.

"And you should have seen Martin. He went total Monster Lemur Mode and freaked the socks off of those two!" Jimmy said.

"And now the colony is safe." chris agreed. "Living free and in the w-"

"Uh… Guys..." Mina pointed out.

"Oh, no..." Chris couldn't believe what he was seeing. The team circled around Martin and Aviva as they saw Jekyll Hyde. The fellow mouse lemurs approached the team.

"Jekyll Hyde? They're gone. You're safe," Martin panted. "Jekyll Hyde?" The mouse lemur weakly opened his eyes. He was breathing really hard. "Buddy?"

"Oh, no..." Koki feared, as she scanned Jekyll Hyde with her Creaturepod.

"Come on, pal. You gotta get up… your friends are here… you're all safe now, you can go home..."

"Martin… I fear he can't make it… not after that..." Koki gulped.

"No… No! Jekyll, no! You gotta get up!" Martin tried unsuccessfully to get their fellow mouse lemur to get up. "Come on, boy! Wake up!"

"Jekyll..." Aviva felt tears spring up. "No..." She laid her head on Ventus' chest, sobbing.

"No… no..." Martin hugged the mouse lemur, his tears turning to ice as they fell. "This is not fair… Just when I was finally getting along with him..." The rest of the team looked down, some even crying.

Jekyll gave what sounded like a soft growl and a calm nuzzle on the Kratt in blue's thumb before his energy was spent. The forest seemed to roll into silence. Even the breeze stopped blowing. Only the team's silent sobbing was heard.

* * *

In the next day, the team reunited around a calm spot nearby the Tortuga to host a special tribute to their hero. Even the mouse lemur colony was present. Jekyll Hyde was buried in a nice spot near the Tortuga, and a small tombstone with a mouse lemur silhouette was left there.

"Fellow Wild Kratts… we are gather here today to honor the bravest and cutest-yet-dangerous creature we ever had the pleasure to meet," Chris said seriously. "Jekyll Hyde, the mouse lemur. He, who gave his life for the survival of his kind, showed us his predatory ways and the key to the success of our mission, leaving it clear once more the saying that you cannot judge a book by its cover… or an animal by its past."

Everyone was sad and heartbroken, but no one more than Martin. He knelt close to the tombstone and left there a small mouse lemur statue made of metal.

"Well… one thing is sure… his death will not be in vain," Martin decided, standing up. "We will continue the monitoring of Operation Thunderdome, and prevent Amelia from creating a Predator War... for Jekyll Hyde's memory and for all the creatures yet to live on our planet."

"You said it, bro. You said it all," Chris agreed, placing a hand on his shoulder. The others gathered behind them and they stared at the setting sun.


	21. Ep 22: Champ of the Flying Squirrels

The Wild Kratts levitated over a deciduous forest in Asia.

"Ah... what a pacific day.. no villains, no Predators… it's feels like a vacation," Jimmy commented, while checking on a recipe in Grandma Jimmena's book. "And I know the perfect thing for a day like this."

"Brownies?" Bite-Size asked.

"Chiparoos?" Koki asked.

"No and no. A special summer treat. Got everything I need, but I'm missing some nuts. It takes two hours to make, and I promise you will not be disappointed."

On the shell, a certain nymph was laying down, letting the breeze flow over her.

"Ah… such peace and quiet..." Elsa soon felt herself fall asleep. Then, she thought she heard a whoosh. "Huh?" She quickly sat up. "What was that?"

Something landed on her head, making her yelp in surprise. "H-hey!" A furry face bent down and looked at her.

"Awww… you're so cute! Whatever you are."

"Elsa, you alright? I heard shouting," David called. "What's that?"

"This little fella here startled me, that's all. Isn't he the most cutest thing ever?"

"I thought you thought Flip or Snowanna were the most cutest thing ever," he teased.

"Well, he's on my list of Most Cutest. And it's a huuuge one."

"Oh, sister."

"What's going on up here?" Aviva joined them. "Oh, _ay que lindo_! That's so cute and fluffy!"

"I know right?"

"Girls, I'll never fully understand them," David joked.

* * *

Soon, all the girls in the Tortuga were puppy eyed about the little rodent.

"You girls are really into this flying squirrel," Martin commented.

"A squirrel that can fly?" Elsa gasped. "Maybe that's how he startled me in the first place."

"Now I've seen everything," Bite-Size said. "I mean, a mammal that's not a bat that can fly?"

"Well, bro, looks like it's time to school them again," Chris decided.

"Long time we didn't do that," Martin cheerfully pointed out.

"School? Yay!" Mina cheered. She had never been in a school, so it sounded pretty interesting. The girls sat down in front of the screen, and the Kratt Bros stood in front of them.

"Okay, first of all, we need to find the exact species of this flying squirrel," Martin explained. "There are exactly 44 species of it, and the biggest amount of them live here in Asia."

"Okay, guess this can be easy." Aviva picked up the device she used to take blood from the Florida Panther. "Little buddy, you will only feel a little prick."

The squirrel didn't even squeak as he took the shot.

"Wow, you're one tough squirrel," Elsa smiled.

"I got it!" Aviva warned after a moment. "Our buddy here is… a red-cheeked flying squirrel!"

"Well, that could explain his color," Martin thought. "These are one of the most attractive kinds of flying squirrels."

"Why are they flying squirrels in the first place?" Clarissa asked. "I don't see any wings on him."

"Although they are known as "flying squirrels", they don't actually fly - they glide through the air. See this furry webbing between its arms and legs?" He carefully lifted the squirrel's arm. "These are furry membranes that serve as a parachute which supports the squirrel while jumping from tree to tree."

"Oh… kind like my bat wings, that are like a giant hand, right?" Bites looked at his stretched skin in his own wing.

"Well, similar, but they can't flap them hard enough that they can fly. Not spread out enough either, another thing he doesn't have."

"Well, despite this, it's good to have another flying buddy around here. Looks like we're gonna get along just fine." Bites looked at the squirrel.

"Uh, Martin?" Mina lifted up her hand.

"Yes?"

"What name should we give him?"

"Elsa, why don't you name him? You brought him here."

"Well, he's sure gonna fly now," Elsa noticed, seeing the flying squirrel preparing to leap. He made a jump and his membranes spread out, allowing the rodent to glide to the other side of the room. Unfortunately, he didn't have a smooth landing and crashed onto a shelf with some movies.

"Oooo! That's gotta hurt," Sam pointed out. Elsa picked up the video cover that he landed on.

"Impressive jump however, Rocky," Elsa decided.

"Rocky? Like in Stallone's _Rocky Balboa_?" Chris asked, seeing the cover of the movie.

"Well, I said he was going to fly," Elsa chuckled. "And I simply love this movie! Stallone's so hunky!"

"So do I! His fighting techniques are so admiring!" Bites agreed. He whistled the movie's theme song.

"Okay, I agree. Rocky it is," Martin consented. "He looks like he wants to try again." He saw the squirrel wanting to take another leap.

"I gotta film this one. That's one impressive way of moving around." Chris got his Creaturepod. Rocky looked around. "Okay, he's looking for a good landing spot."

"He eyes his location, and with those legs of his, he glides!" The flying squirrel jumped and opened his arms. Rocky glided on course... landing on Jimmy's head. The sudden movement made him yelp. Elsa chuckled.

"I got like that too," the nymph commented. "He's pretty light and tough. Almost as light as I am." Then, she turned to Aviva. "Aviva, have you ever made a flying squirrel suit?"

"Not that I remember," Aviva thought. "Sounds like a good idea."

"Come on, no way this light thing is so tough," David muttered.

"Oh yeah?" Elsa placed her hands on her hips. "You want proof of this?"

"Sounds like a competition idea," Chris observed the situation.

"What do you have in mind, sister?"

"A test on flying squirrel abilities and survival tactics in the forest," Elsa explained.

"Winner gets this sweet trophy." Martin picked up a trophy he had in his backpack. "And the title of Champ of the Flying Squirrels."

"Where did he get that?" Sam asked.

" **More importantly, how did he fit that in there?"** M.A.T.I. questioned.

"That's just how Martin is. Deal with it," Chris said, not surprised.

"So... are you in... or are you chicken?" Elsa mocked. David pouted.

"I accept your challenge, little sister."

"Uh, I'm still several decades ahead of you," she reminded with a smirk.

"In human years, you're younger!"

"Okay, okay!" Aviva separated the two of them. "I'll get to work immediately then, and after lunch, we'll have our challenge."

"Chris, you train David, and Koki, you train Elsa." Martin pointed out.

"Get ready to have a new and shiny trophy," Chris assured to David.

"We'll make those two eat our dust," Koki guaranteed Elsa.

* * *

Later, after lunch, Chris set up a climbing training for David.

"Just like the gray squirrels in North America, flying squirrels are excellent climbers," Chris informed as he helped David with the harness.

"Dude, honestly, do I have to wear THIS?!" David saw the costume he was put in.

"David, this costume is something skydivers have developed precisely to mimic flying squirrels," Chris pointed out. "Just for you to know, humans have long been envious of the flying squirrel's gliding abilities."

"Sounds expensive."

"Really worth it if you ask me. Now take your place and prepare to glide!" Chris blew a whistle, and David climbed a bit more, before trying to search a spot with a white flag.

"Got the spot. One.. two… three!" David jumped to glide, but an involuntary wind current made him lose his balance and bump his head nearby the flag. Chris flinched.

"I know how that feels..."

* * *

Meanwhile with the girls, Koki was helping Elsa get a flying squirrel like gadget on.

"Now remember Elsa, flying squirrels can only go a certain amount of meters each time they glide," she told her. "Also, check the wind currents a bit. The better the wind, the more your radius to glide goes."

"Got it, Koki." Elsa took a deep breath, and jumped to glide.

"Don't fight against the currents. Use them!" Koki commented. The Time Nymph felt the wind on her left, and opened her "wings".

"Don't fight against the currents… Don't fight them... Use them..." Elsa remembered those words. The wind carried her to go right and she got hold of a nearby tree trunk.

"Excellent work!" Koki greeted from down below. "Perfect landing too!" Elsa smiled and gave a thumbs up.

"We gotta step it up, David," Chris said, watching the girls through his binoculars. "They look like they're starting to train food collecting." Rocky the landed on his binoculars, and startled him. "Okay, okay! Got it! No spying!"

* * *

After a few hours, the two teams met up back at the Tortuga.

"Ladies and gentlemen, critters of all ages!" Ventus called from the Tortuga's head. He had a head mic on, with Jimmy next to him. "This is Vincent Kratt from the Tortuga HQ, ready to start transmitting the very first Champ of the Flying Squirrels tournament! Isn't that right, James?"

"That's right, Vincent!" Jimmy commented. "And the teams are here! We have Team Glider, Elsa Genosharp and her trainer, Koki Bambrick!" Elsa and Koki waved from their spot in a nearby tree. "And on Team Windstreak, David Genosharp and his trainer, Christopher Kratt!" The boys waved from a parallel tree.

"How's everything from down there, Martin?" Ventus asked.

"The cameras are set on, and the atmosphere is perfect for a competition!" Martin filmed the region. "The crowd here is ecstatic for what could be the ultimate sibling dispute settling competition!"

"Go, Team Glider!" Mina and Aviva cheered.

"GOOOO, WINDSTREAK!" Sam cheered with M.A.T.I.

"All Wild Kratts Kids will be witnessing this event as well, right?" Jimmy asked.

"You can say the gang's all here! This is live coverage and every agent had been notified for this fur raising event!" Ventus showed on the screen.

Bite-Size stepped forward, with two flags.

"This competition will go from the Tortuga to a pinpointed tree three miles from the current position!" the bat-in-human form announced. "The tests are established: gliding ability, climbing, food collecting, survival and finally a glide race to the Tortuga." The two competitors put on their Creature Power Suits. "Racers, start your suits!"

Rocky landed on Martin's hand. Elsa and David touched him, ready for the race.

"Activate Flying Squirrel Powers!"

"On your marks… get set..." Elsa felt a rush a wind from behind, making her smirk. "GLIDE!"

"And they're off!" Ventus announced. "And guess we better be off too!" He pulled Jimmy by the shirt. "Clarissa, let's get going!"

Elsa and David started the race shoulder to shoulder. As the wind blew, however, the Time Nymph used it in her favour, and David tried the best he could to stay in the air.

"It looks like Elsa is taking advantage of this blustery day," Jimmy announced, as he and Ventus took a ride on Clarissa.

"Well, flying squirrels can use the wind in their favour, so you can't says she's cheating," Ventus pointed out. "OOH! Faceplant!" He then looked at David. Chris sighed, facepalming.

"It's one point to Team Glider for the excellent gliding performance." Martin marked on a chalkboard. Koki high fived Aviva and fist bumped Mina. Sam grumbled a bit.

"It's just the beginning. We'll reach you," the mutant swore.

"All eyes on the field, you all, for it's time to the next test: climbing!" Martin stated. "The first one to catch the message orb wins a point."

David was zigzagging along the branches on all fours at fast speeds to keep up with the orb. Elsa was a bit ahead, but she stumbled a little and nearly fell twice. This caused her to fall behind.

"David's got the upper hand now! Looks like the training with the Kratts' expert climber worked!" Ventus pointed out. "Poor Elsa, by the way." Once in reach, David jumped and caught the orb in midair.

"And he's got it, folks! That's a point for Team Windstreak!" Jimmy said. Sam embraced M.A.T.I., but after this, they both blushed.

* * *

Elsa climbed down, breathing hard. Suddenly, her stomach growled.

"Time for food collection. The food, in this case, is the summer treat I made today: chocolate nut squares, spread all over the forest," Jimmy explained. "The contestants must gather all the food they can in the stated time and carry it to their assigned markers. The one with the most food wins the challenge."

"Perfect timing. I'm starving," the Time Nymph commented under her breath.

"Wait. They'll have to put it in their mouths?" Ventus asked.

"Not exactly. Aviva programmed special compartments in the suits to hold food," Jimmy explained. "And now's the perfect time to test it. The contestants have eight minutes to collect the food and hurry to their markers. Starting NOW!"

The two siblings quickly dashed around the area. Elsa used her nose and quickly found some of the special squares wrapped in plastic wrap.

"Oh, and also, the treats are vegan safe. So Elsa will be able to eat them," Jimmy pointed out.

"Score!" the Time Nymph cheered quietly before scurrying to find more.

"Either the flying squirrel food collecting instinct is kicking in or we just have a hungry nymph in a CPS running around," Martin joked. "Elsa is dashing all over the place, finding a lot of treat stashes!"

"If I recall, she didn't eat much at lunch today, Martin," Ventus pointed out. "So I'm going for the hunger theory. And she must be REALLY hungry if she's running that fast!"

"David didn't have much to eat as well, but eating like that, he won't get much further," Jimmy pointed out, seeing David take a bite of one of the squares before tucking the rest away and hurrying to find more.

"You know, eating that fast could cause a bit of a decrease in speed and a cramp in his stomach," Clarissa pointed out.

"And also, it could cause him to not have many treats when he reaches his marker in two minutes. Elsa is already on route to hers."

"Come on, David, it's not time to have a snack!" Chris clenched his fists.

"Go, Elsa! Go, sister!" Mina cheered.

"30 seconds before the teams need to get to their markers!" Ventus announced. Hearing that, David quickly scurried towards his marker. Too bad he didn't chew perfectly: a cramp in his stomach slowed him down. Elsa was already at her marker, having already had her stash counted and now calmly munching away at her snacks.

"Looks like David bit more than what he could chew," Clarissa teased.

"Whose side are you on, huh?" David complained via Creaturepod. He collapsed at his marker just before the last second.

"I was just saying."

"One more point for Team Glider!" Martin announced. "And the crowd goes wild!"

"And now, a 20 minute break for the contestants to eat their snacks," Ventus announced. "And David, in your case… chew a little more and swallow bit by bit." The Time Guardian huffed in annoyance.

* * *

"And Team Glider are one point ahead of Windstreak," Martin pointed out. "With only two tests left, I can't stop but wondering how the siblings are leading with all that pressure."

"Okay, champ, we're on our way to that trophy." Koki offered a drink to Elsa. "You're doing great work, if you ask me."

"Perhaps… but don't you think David's getting a little too much into winning than into seeing how the features work?" Elsa thought for a moment.

"Sweetie, time for you to understand how the mind of a boy works," Koki pointed out. "When there's a competition, they take till the end to realize how dumb they're being."

"You're getting that because of the brothers, aren't you?" Elsa teased.

"I know I'm pretty over-competitive myself," Koki guaranteed.

Meanwhile, David took a drink from Chris.

"We're just one step behind them, dude. Get the two next ones right, and you get that trophy."

"Elsa's got spunk, I'll give her that," David commented, sipping his water. "But I'll show her that flying squirrels aren't that tough as they seem." He received a glare from Chris. "Um, no offense."

"The tournament shall continue in two minutes!" Jimmy announced. "Contestants, get ready!"

* * *

"Next test is survival! Let's see if these two flying squirrels can find a place to hide and escape from predators," Jimmy announced. "With nighttime arriving, it's more than enough time for the squirrels to get this right!"

"Let's just wait and see, James," Ventus said, eyes on the screen. "And they're off!"

"And so are we!" Jimmy bumped Clarissa with his feet. "Hi-yo, Clarissa!"

"You repeat that, and there'll be a mutiny!" the wolf girl growled. The redhead shivered while the dirty blonde chuckled.

Elsa and David glided through the trees.

"The flying squirrels have good night vision, and most species hunt and are active throughout the night," Ventus informed. "That's a reason why very few people get to see them."

"But they're the not only ones that like night time. Better watch out for the owls and tree snakes of the forest," Jimmy pointed out.

"Speaking of snakes, there's no venomous ones in the area, are there?" Ventus asked in a worried tone.

"M.A.T.I. had done a creature scope of the area before the competition, and this area is absent of venomous snakes," Martin assured. "Either way, they're a threat to flying squirrels. So Elsa and David better watch out."

The Genosharp brother was in front of Elsa, climbing down and up trees.

"I guess I'm finally getting the hang of gliding," the Time Guardian said. As he tried, even though he bumped his head once more, he landed a bit better. Elsa on the other hand, was looking all over the place, trying to find a hole to hide.

"Okay, no owls and snakes yet. Maybe I can get this one best if I take a lower hole on a tree." Elsa looked up to find a hole. She climbed up with some food left, but then David startled her.

"Looking for me?" he said, chuckling. "Sorry, sister, this hole's mine. Better find your own survival spot."

"And David got one point. He found a hideout and kept some food for later," Ventus announced. Elsa huffed, but calmed down. By that moment, they heard in the sky a chirp.

"Uh-oh! The predators have arrived!" Jimmy said.

"Getting into the hole now!" David entered the hideout, and covered the exit. Elsa climbed down to find a spot to hide, seeing she couldn't count on her brother to save her.

An owl climbed on a nearest branch and started to explore the tree to find food.

"Okay, David... you're safe as long as the owl doesn't hear you." The Time Guardian saw how big an owl was for a flying squirrel. As for Elsa, she fearfully picked up a small stone and threw it in a direction away from her.

"To the moon with this competition! David needs my help, him wanting to win or not," the Time Nymph decided. The owl heard the sound of the stone hitting the leaves on the ground and went to see explore the sound. "Now to find my own spot to hide."

In a quiet scurry, she went up a tree a couple of feet away, luckily finding a knothole for herself. However, she wasn't counting on the hole already being occupied.

"Tree snake!" Elsa gasped, holding herself not to scream. The snake seemed deep asleep. Quietly, the Time Nymph stepped back to the entrance, but then, she got trapped. That same owl just came to the tree. "Aw, come on!"

David, looked from his hideout spot, seeing the owl busy with something else. Quietly, he came out of the knothole and looked to where the Tortuga was parked.

"Looks like a tough situation to Elsa. If she's not smart, either the snake of the owl will get her," Ventus whispered.

"What? Why wasn't I informed of this?!" David scolded via Creaturepod.

"Uh… I said there were predators, remember?"

"Oh... awkward," Sam muttered.

"Well… I do owe her one," the Time Guardian admitted. Picking a nut out of his leftovers, David accurately flicked it at the owl.

"Is he nuts?!" Martin gasped. "Ha-ha. Nuts. Uh, ahem, but now that owl will notice him!"

"Yoo-hoo! Feathers for brains!" David mocked. "Why don't you get someone your own size?" Seeing that he got the bird's attention, he hurriedly zigzagged through the treetops, with the owl a few feet behind.

With the opportunity, Elsa quickly but quietly exited, but a small crick was enough for the snake to wake up. "Pixie sticks!" she yelped before leaping out of the knothole.

"Elsa! Bring it here!" David called for her sister. The owl reached for the Genosharp brother, and Elsa pushed him aside, letting the bird catch the snake.

"That's a great view on teamwork!" Ventus announced. "Looks like a competition won't be enough to make them forget how deep a sibling's love can be!"

"Whoa, nice work, bro."

"Same to you, sis." The two fist bumped. "Ow!" David yelped, kneeling onto the branch. "Pixie sticks. Twisted my ankle on that last leap."

"Want a ride?" Elsa offered. "The Gliding Master will help you on the race back."

"What about my weight?"

"On your conscience or on your belch for all those nut squares?" Elsa teased. "Come on, pouty face, before you-know-who finds us again."

* * *

The teams waited for the siblings to return. Mina had already fallen asleep on Avia's lap.

"And the competitors are returning to the big finish!" Jimmy announced. "Wake up the cheering teams!" Martin nodded and blew a vuvuzela. The Hope Nymph and Sam woke up with a start.

"Did you have to do that?!" Sam complained.

"Either that or the Wow Fact alarm."

"Fair enough."

"David and Elsa are shoulder-on-shoulder," Ventus informed, followed by a chuckle. "It's quite interesting that Elsa could carry David's weight on her after eating all those nut squares."

"Well, I could say nymphs, despite the lightness, are stronger than they seem since the first generations, but why spoil their party?" Mina teased. Aviva rolled her eyes.

"And… photo finish!" Ventus announced, with Bites taking a picture of the siblings. "Please standby for the results to load onto the main monitor!"

"It's… It's a tie! They both reached the landing spot!" Jimmy announced. The teams cheered for the champions.

David and Elsa came down from the Tortuga's shell, and deactivated.

"Looks like we have two Champs of the Flying Squirrels," Martin commented. "You'll have to share the trophy then." Rocky then dove into his backpack. "Hey! What are you doing there, buddy?"

The squirrel popped out of the backpack, with two streamers on top of his head. Martin picked him up and saw they weren't streamers; they were TWO medals!

"Good idea, Rocky!"

"Seriously, where did he get those?!" Sam was completely dumbfounded.

"I know. But that aside, here in front of all Wild Kratts Kids watching us online, and all the members of our team, pronounce you David, and you Elsa, the first ever Champs of the Flying Squirrels!" Ventus announced, as Martin placed the medals on the siblings' necks.

"And what we can do with this trophy then?" Bites wondered. Rocky landed inside of it.

"It's his trophy now," Elsa decided. "Rocky is a true champion that taught us many things about flying squirrels."

"As tough and smart as they are light," David added. Martin held up the trophy, and the team joined in, celebrating.

"And it's in this climax of celebration that we finish this transmission of the very first Champ of the Flying Squirrel tournament!" Ventus said, throwing his microphone aside and joining the team.

The team lifted up David and Elsa, and they both lifted Rocky inside the trophy. There, with the team, were now three champions.


	22. Ep 23: The Thin Green Line

_In a suburban house, a pregnant woman saw her husband coming out of the house._

" _Do you need to go? Now? But, Craig… the doctor said I can give birth at any moment!" Tania told her husband, as he prepared to go out._

" _I'm sorry, honey. It's my duty as a policeman. I must go there."_

" _You promised me!" Aidan said, seeing his father go to the door. Both parents looked at him. "You promised we would spend time together! You never spend any time with me!"_

" _I'm sorry, Aidan… I really am, but I must do this. It's really important."_

" _More important than your family?!"_

 _Suddenly, they heard a siren. "I gotta go." He kissed Tania's forehead. "I promise I'll be home as soon as I can." Then, he looked at the frustated and angry Aidan, as he turned his back to not show he was crying._

 _Sighing, Craig closed the door and left._

 _SCREECH! CRASH!_

Aidan woke up with a scream. He wiped the sweat of his face.

"Aidan..." Nolan looked from his bed. "You okay?"

That dreadful "memoream" (memory and dream at the same time) again… The eldest of Tania's sons looked down and sighed.

* * *

In the graveyard, Aidan placed another action figure from his collection on his father's tombstone. He sighed, as Martin and Chris observed from a certain distance.

"Poor boy… he's still really broken-hearted, huh?" Martin observed.

"I don't blame him," Chris sighed. "Losing someone close can really affect your life."

"I am glad Nolan is in school by now. A kid that age couldn't hold much of that kind of pain," Martin commented. "We better return soon. Aviva is requiring help with a new invention."

"You go ahead. I guess I'll… support him for a little while." Chris walked to the boy.

"Take your time, bro." Martin started heading back. the Krattin green stayed by Aidan's side.

"Thanks for coming. It means a lot."

"No problem," Chris said. "You know that ever since me and your mother got engaged, you can trust me with these kinds of things." He looked warmly at the ring that now adorned his finger.

"Saying good-bye is hard… but doing it like this… without even making amends..." Aidan's eyes filled with tears. Chris felt bad about seeing him like this. He wished he could something… but what?

"Anyway, I'm going to visit my dad's old office," the boy pointed out, as he wiped his eyes. "The guys from the police department already know me, because I used to visit dad at his work."

"That's really cool. What he was again?" The two of them walked out o the cemetery.

"He was a policeman. the best policeman in all the city," Aidan remembered.

 _"Strong, confident, smart… thninking ahead of the danger. He had everything an police officer needed. I admired his work. Really, I did... but the problem was... that he didn't stop at home once._

" _When he first started this job, I was about Nolan's age. At first I thought it would be cool having a real-life hero in our amily… but then, the absense came._

 _"He stopped telling me stories, kissing me good-night... we even stopped talking about things we planned for the future. We used to spend nights long telling our plans and ideas."_

"Wow... Craig sounds like someone awesome," Chris said, as he followed the boy.

"He sure was. It was the insistence of my mother and his former partners that his office remained intact," Aidan said. "It was their way of paying a tribute to him." They soon arrived at the police department.

"Hello, tyke. Came to see your dad's office again?" the receptionist greeted Aidan.

"Yup. Thanks, Shirley," Aidan greeted back as he and Chris walked. "I've known her for a long time. She worked here since my father got the job."

* * *

The Kratt in green followed the boy to Craig's office. That place was really clean and organized. There were pictures of Craig with the police department crew and arresting criminals.

"Wow..."

"Pretty cool, huh?" Aidan asked. "I used to sit here, and watch him work. Then, we spent most of the time chatting." The boy sighed.

He looked at the desk. There was a picture of him when he was younger and his father.

"I only wish I haven't been so mean to him… before he left..." Chris felt terrible. He didn't like Aidan being so upset at all.

* * *

Later, back to the HQ, while the team cleaned up the place, Chris reflected about Aidan's situation.

"Such a burdan like this may do nothing good to a boy like Aidan… he really wants to see his father..."

"Well, it's not like we can bring him back," Ventus poined out. "The risk, as the From Dust Thee Came incident showed us, is really big. Donita barely died from trying to play god."

"I know, dude… I just wished I could make him feel better." Chris laid down in his hammock. "That boy is already like a son to me."

"He will be your son officialy in some months, dude, you know that," Ventus reminded. "By the way, congratulations for you and Tania."

"Thanks. I'll tell her this when I go there for dinner," Chris said. Then, he thought about VK's earlier quote. His eyes widened in realization and he suddenly sat up. "That's it!"

* * *

Later that night, the Armstrong Family was reunited at the dinner table, having a feast.

"Mom's roasted chicken is surely the best in the whole world," Aidan pointed out. "This must be the second plate Nolan ate."

"The third. And I think it's pretty enough for him." Tania cleaned her little boy's mouth. "If he keeps eating like this, he won't have space for dessert."

"Mom made tonight Dad's favourite dessert: homemade apple pie," Aidan whispered to Chris. He licked his lips in anticipation. Then, he saw Aidan's frown. Tania sighed, and called for Chris to the nearest room.

"I'm so worried about Aidan, Chris. Every year since Craig died, he gets gloomy. I get he's suffering a huge bruise, but… I thought with time this would be processed by him."

"I felt that today, when me and him went to visit Craig's grave. But you know, I think I have a solution to that gloominess," Chris confessed. He whispered it to Tania.

"Well, I won't doubt a Nature Guardian." Tania smiled. "But please, just… promise he won't get hurt."

"Scout's honor, Tawny." Chris crossed his fingers. Then, a picture of Aidan's family fell off the wall.

"Oh, dear. I always forget to fix that nail," Tania fretted. Chris chuckled a bit, then walked back to Aidan, as the boy ate slowly a piece of apple pie, and his little brother ate it like a lion cub.

"Aidan, ever heard about Orpheus?" He sat near the boy. Aidan shook his head, intrigued though.

"Well… _Orpheus was son of Apollo. In many ways, Apollo was the god of music and Orpheus was blessed with musical talents. Eurydice was a lovely nymph._

 _They were young and in love. So deep was their love that they were practically inseparable. So dependent that each felt they could not live without the other. These young lovers were very happy and spent their time frolicking through the meadows._

 _"One day, precisely a day after their wedding, Eurydice was daily running through a meadow with Orpheus when she was bitten by a serpent. The poison of the bite killed her and she descended to the Underworld. More precisely, to the Elysian Fields._

 _"Orpheus was so sad about the loss of his love that he composed music to express the terrible emptiness which pervaded his every breath and movement. He was so desperate and found so little else meaningful, that he decided to speak to hades to get Eurydice back._

 _"As the overseer of the underworld, Hades' heart had to be hard as steel, and so it was. Many approached Hades to beg for loved ones back and as many times were refused. But Orpheus' music was so sweet and so moving that it softened the steel hearted heart of Hades himself._

 _"Hades gave permission to Orpheus to bring Eurydice back to the surface of the earth. There was only one condition... Orpheus should not look back as he ascended. He had to trust that Eurydice was immediately behind him._

 _"It was a long way back up and just as Orpheus had almost finished that last part of the trek, he looked behind him to make sure Eurydice was still with him. At that very moment, she was snatched back because he did not trust that she was there. When you hear music which mourns lost love, it is Orpheus' spirit who guides the hand of the musicians who play it."_

"Wow… poor guy," Adan reflected. "Wait… Elysium Fields?"

"Initially separate from the realm of Hades, admission was reserved for mortals related to the gods and other heroes. Later, it expanded to include those chosen by the gods, the righteous, and the heroic, where they would remain after death, to live a blessed and happy life."

"So... you think Dad's there?" Aidan wondered.

"Yes. And there might be a way for you to see him again." Chris held the boy's hands.

"This might be the only way for me to make amends with him," Aidan said. Chris saw his determination. "Okay, Chris! Let's go there!" the Kratt in green felt happy for seeing Aidan smiling.

* * *

The next day, the Earth Guardian and the boy crossed a portal early in the morning, and soon were traveling around the Styx River, in Charon's boat. Aidan shivered in Chris's arms.

"I know the feeling, champ. But once you get used to the atmosphere, it's not that scary," Chris said.

"We're here," Charon announced. "King Hades' temple."

"Thanks, Charon," Chris said. "There you go." He paid him with the coins Athena gave him.

"May the gods be in your favor, Earth Gaurdian," charon said, with a smile.

Once they got inside Hades' temple, Aidan held closely to Chris. That place was really scary.

"Who goes there?" they heard a tempestrous voice. Aidan latched onto Chris's leg.

"It's okay, it's okay."

They walked forward to see… King Hades and Queen Persephone in front of them.

"Well, well, well… if it isn't the Earth Guardian, Chris Kratt. Long time no see since the misfortune with Klaus Donata," the Underworld God recognized him.

"He really is much like Terra," Persephone thought, seeing his face for the first time. Chris bowed in respect.

"Mighty Master and Mistress of the Underworld, we come in peace. My young friend just wishes to see his deceased father once more, in the Elysian Fields." Aidan was surprised by how calm Chris was in front of the god of the Underworld himself. The Earth Guardian straightened himself.

"I see. Perhaps a Guardian can walk among the Underworld's areas without problems, but for what reason should we allow a mortal child to enter a sacred spirit place?" Hades asked. Persephone looked at the boy.

"Your-your Majesty... We do believe Dad's in the Elysian Fields. He was a police officer. A hero for all that knew him, especially his fellow comrades and family," Aidan told him, showing the picture of him and his father. "He always fought for what's right, and never thought a single day about hurting an innocent."

"Go on." Hades stood firmly on the temple. The Underworld queen just stared at the boy's exession.

"I… I did something terrible before he was gone… and never forgave myself what I did. We never… made things right..." Aidan felt like crying. "This... this may be my only chance..."

"My king… look." Persephone came down from her throne and walked to the boy. "These tears are as sincere… as the ones I dropped when you took me from my mother for the first time, and the ones she dropped when you allowed me to see her through srping and summer." She wiped the child's tears with tenderness. "He does love his father. Please, allow him to visit the Elysium."

Persephone felt bad about Aidan, and pleaded to her husband. Hades sighed.

"I cannot say no to you, Persephone. It has been deicded then: I'll let you see him, boy." Aidan smiled to the king, while dropping some tears, and Chris smiled to him. "Persephone, take them to the Elysian Fields."

"Yes, my lord."

* * *

Persephone guided the two to a certain part in the Underworld.

"You can go by yourselves from here. Just remember to never look back, once you return."

"Thanks, Persephone. I heard many people say that your personality changed everytime you came to this world."

"Not at all. I remain the same person in all moments of my life," Persephone assured. "Oh... I heard you brought Eris back."

"Yeah… it's true, but her situation with Hermia is still not very good… And something seems to be happening to Mother Nature."

"I fear her darkness might probably come soon... and I believe it'll do worse things than what Eris did."

"Hermia... has darkness?" Up until now, he always thought that the reason Hermia was against darkness so much was because she only carried Light. So he was wrong?

"Chris, come on!" Aidan called.

"Oh, I'm going!" he called back. "Thanks, Persephone." Chris started to follow the blonde boy.

"And Chris." The Earth Guardian turned around. "Don't fear the Darkness like she has. Fear only corrupts. Whether it's Darkness or Light." Chris let it set in his mind. But this still confused him.

* * *

The two of them walked together, until they saw a seemingly dusty door, with a golden lock.

"This must be it." Chris held the doorknob and pushed the door open. Soon, the two of them witnessed something unbelieavable: the Elysian Fields were beautful. The grass in this place was green, with many flowers spread all over. Down the hill where the door stood, there was a small village, with many people living in peace. Some played insturments, others remained vigilant for any problems.

"Not bad for this spot of the Underworld. I imagined something like that place Eris lived in," Aidan commented.

"Well, maybe not all places are organized like this. This is practically the good ones' paradise according to Greek mythology." Chris walked with the boy. "Now, all we have to do is..." Then, he was knocked over by something. Two familiar barks were heard.

"Heidi? Wyatt?" Chris recognized the dogs. One was the St. Bernard from his and Martin's childhood, the other was Martin's dog that passed away.

"Oh! My dearest apologies," the voice of a man said. "These two escaped from their collars."

"Dad?" Aidan looked up. That hair, those eyes, even the badge on his clothing.. it was him!

"Aidan? Is that you?" The man couldn't believe his eyes.

"Dad!" Aidan rushed to embrace his father.

"Oh, Aidan, my boy! It's been so long!" Craig knelt to embrace his son. "Look how you've grown! You look so much like me when I was your age!" Chris stepped forward nervously, as the dogs circled him.

"Oh, boy," Aidan feared for an instant.

"Chris Kratt, right?" Craig greeted. "It is an honor to meet you."

"Oh. um… same here, Mr. Armstrong." Chris nervously waved his hand.

"Mr. Armstrong was my father. You can just call me Craig."

"So… I heard about you and Tania. And I'm really happy that she's doing fine, and so is my other son."

"So am I. I love her and these two boys very much."

Aidan looked at them talking. His father didn't seem to care about the fact that Chris was with Tania.

"Uh… Chris? Can you give us a moment?" Aidan asked.

"Uh? Oh, sure." Chris smiled. "Look, uh, Craig… why don't you let me handle these two here? I can take them for a walk, while you two talk to each other."

"Oh, that would be great." Craig smiled to him. "It's getting harder each and everyday to take the dogs for a walk. Honestly, sometimes even the Elysian Fields can get a bit problematic."

Chris chuckled as he took the collars and the dogs started to run, taking him with them.

"Dad… you're not mad at Chris?"

"Why, Aidan?"

"He's engaged to mom now. Nothing against their union, but… I thought you would..."

"Aidan… I'm happy to find out your mother and you, and your little brother are doing fine after I left. This for me it's what really matters."

"Really? You… wondered how I was doing?"

"Sure, son."

"B-but… dad… I came here just to… to apologize for… for what I said that day before you… you know." Craig stood in place for a moment, as the boy looked down. Then, he heard a small chuckle, and felt his father's hand on his shoulder.

"Listen… I know you've said some things to me that day… and I was pretty upset as well for leaving… but I knew deep within that you didn't actually mean those things you said. Sometimes when people are upset… they don't really think about their words."

"*giggle* I guess… But, dad… I thought you were also mad at me."

"Never, son… I at first felt sad about ending up here and never again seeing my family. But then, Persephone and Hades showed me a way to see how my family was doing... these special windows that give the spirits the ability to see the upworld." He pointed to the windows spread all over the Elysian Fields. "That's how I knew how your mother and you were. And I saw you were suffering… and felt guilty." Craig stared art his son. Adian looked down a bit embarrassed. "But I never blamed you for what happened, Aidan. Sometimes we just… can't avoid death."

"I guesss… but I also came here so me and chris could… take you back to the surface." Aidan said.

"Back?"

"Yeah. Like what Orpheus tried. Maybe you can't marry mom again… but you can still be friends with her. And then, we'll be able to do everything we wanted before."

Craig thought for some moments. "This… would make you happy, wouldn't it?"

"Sure would. I always wanted to apologize for what happened. What better way than having you back home?"

"Hmm… Well… okay, I guess. But before we go... I was going to give you this a long time ago... because I believed I would survive that day." Craig gave his son a package. "I never got able to give it to you that time... but I hope you accept it now."

Aidan opened it to see… an officer badge with something written on it.

"Aidan Armstrong: a nice child, a great son..." he read. He felt his eyes tear up, as they stood up. Chris came close.

"Phew… those two have the energy of puppies!" he chuckled, as he cleaned up his clothing, and Aidan was licked by both the dogs.

"Okay, you two. Better get back to your doghouses. Your food will arrive soon," Craig pointed out, and the two obeyed him.

"I think we're done here, Chris. We can go back now." Aidan smiled to Chris.

"Okay then," Chris agreed. "Just remember… you can't look back once when we're on our way back, or you'll know what will happen." Aidan agreed.

"Don't worry, son. I'll keep speaking with you, so you know I'm behind you," Craig assured, as he followed both of them to outside of the Elysian Fields.

* * *

Aidan and Chris were very close to Charon's boat.

"There's our ride back home. We're almost there," Chris anounced. Craig sighed.

"Dad?" Aidan, never turning around, asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yes... sure..." Craig sighed. Aidan noticed, by his voice, that he was NOT okay. "I guess it will be great to get back to my job as a policeman… and see my friends and family again… and see you living a happy life."

Aidan reflected on that tone. He did felt a lot more relieved for his father not being upset with him the way he thoguht, but… something told him there was something wrong.

"I mean… If this really will gonna make you happy, I think it's not gonna be a bad thing," Aidan heard his father's words. His father didn't seem happy to return to the surface. Not at all. He felt tears in his eyes, as he recognized how selfish he was being. No… he coudln't sacrifice his father's happy afterlife to get things his way.

"No... If you'll not be happy with this... I guess it shouldn't make me happy as well." Taking a deep breath, Aidan looked around. Craig immediately started glowing, and retruned to his ghost form.

"Huh?" Chris stared at Aidan. Craig smiled, seeing his son's heart was in the right place.

"I know how much you wanted to make amends with me, but, son... you didn't needed to do all this trip. I love you, and I only want you, your mother and your little brother to be happy." Aidan tried to contain his tears, as his father embraced him.

"I love you, dad. And I'm sorry." Chris wiped his tears, not containing his emotion.

"Stay strong, champ. I'll always watch opver you." Craig gave his son a kiss on the forehead, and turned around to return to the Elysian Fields

"You did the right thing, Aidan," Chris said, as the boy climbed aboard. "I'm proud of you."

"*sigh* Thanks, Chris. In the end, it wasn't even needed for us to come. He's happy here, and I was being really selfish… but once I saw the best for him was to remain here… I also saw I had to do my part and… keep going with my life."

"Wow... that's a really mature thing to say. You know, that's one thing I learned about love, boy: sometimes we must put others' needs in first place. You did the right thing... and made your dad really proud." The boy nodded and smiled before hugging his hero.

* * *

" _It costed me to go see my father in the Underworld to understand that not always our ways are the right ways to solve problems. And one thing Dad surely will never let me forget... is that love is eternal, no matter what kind,"_ Aidan wrote in the Wild kratts Diary as Chris observed. " _And if I keep my life going on is what'll make my father happy... than I'm more than willing to do this."_

Chris placed the badge on the boy's shirt, receiving another hug from Aidan. Tania smiled at them, and observed the new portrait placed on the wall: a picture of her, Nolan, Aidan and Chris.


	23. Ep 24: Silvis Cordium

The brothers were in their Darkness training, observed by Ventus and Storm from above. While Martin was working on the physical part, Chris was doing the mental part with meditation.

David and Clarissa were observing the forest, and Sam was taking a nap. Suddenly, there was a splash. The team looked to see Luna falling in the puddle Martin made. "Luna?"

"Sorry about that," Martin said. The shadows quickly hid, so the owl didn't see them. Chris broke out of his meditation, opening one eye.

"Guardians…We have trouble," Luna wiped the water off of her feathers. "Amelia's in Olympacropolis." Ventus gasped, falling down from where he was.

"Leaping Lotuses! That's the most magical village in the mythical world and it's the closest to Olympus!" David pointed out. "And it's my home and Ven's home as well!"

"What would Amelia want there? And how did she even find it?! It's so secretive! No human except certain apprentices know its location!" Ventus started freaking out.

"That must explain why it isn't in any of my books." Chris commented. "Ven, do you remember the path to this… Olympacropolis?"

"So good I can get there blindfolded."

" **Then, give us the exact coordinates, and let's get there immediately!"** M.A.T.I. asked.

"Um, about that..." David mumbled nervously. "No technology is allowed in the village. I think M.A.T.I. will be an exception luckily."

" **No problem, you guys just go down there and the Tortuga will be camouflaged, okay?"**

"I guess. As long as it's not in the forest to the east. That is holy ground," Ventus averted, and M.A.T.I. nodded in approval.

"So, I'll… hang with her while you guys go there, okay?" Sam decided.

"Hmm… isn't there another reason for you to want to stay?" Aviva teased. He bared his sharp canines.

"And what do YOU have to do with this, huh?" Sam blushed hard. The team chuckled, as they got into the Tortuga to go.

* * *

"Oh, Klaus, can you just feel it in the air?" Amelia sighed happily in a forest. "There is magic in everything in this forest."

"Yes, and so much power," Klaus agreed with a power lust grin. "I once even heard that this forest was once a land for the buried warriors of a great war. The source of most of this magic in near the center of the forest."

"That is the perfect spot to start the plan of a lifetime. Those Wild Kratts tried to stop me, but no man, woman or thing can stand in the way of Amelia Cutter-Donata. And they cannot interfere with destiny, as what I had done had already been written."

"Yes, you've told me about your timeline in the future. Your kingdom, where you ruled with an iron fist." Klaus caressed her shoulders."You are one poetic goddess, _meine liebe_."

"I have always been from here, from this weak and protected world, but it was in that apocalyptic place I became the woman I am. I cannot stand another day in this world. And if you come with me, _meine liebe_ , I'll make you my king and you'll have all the power you could ever wish for."

"My dear, I would follow you to the depths of the Underworld." Klaus smiled to her. "Now, why not start the war?"

" _Ja_."

* * *

The Tortuga landed a hundred meters away from their destination.

"Hey, you two, I have a quick question," Chris said as they headed down a path that was hidden from view of normal mortals. "Why can't we enter the east forest?"

"That forest holds a special name, one with great meaning," Ventus replied. " _Silvis Cordium_."

"It means 'Forest of Hearts' in Latin," David explained.

"And you said earlier that it was a holy place. Why?" Martin asked.

"... Some of our oldest sisters say it used to be a burial ground for the soldiers lost in the Magic War. Some even said… it was in these woods that two of the Nature Trio were buried as well." Ventus cringed at that.

"That is where... Aqua and Terra were laid to rest in peace?" Suddenly, Chris and Martin held their heads. "I don't feel so good here."

"Me too."

"Me three," Jimmy stated.

"Same here," David added.

"I'm confused," Bites admitted.

"Incarnation contact," an older voice said. The group looked and a gorgeous nymph in a yellow and white dress came up. "Hello, David and Elsa. Long time no see."

"Stella!" Elsa went and hugged her sister.

"Whoa, you've really grown," Ventus commented. "Team, this is Stella, a Light Nymph."

"She's also one of the longest living nymphs, as long as the reign of Gaia herself," Elsa added. Then, Chris held his head again.

"Oh, we better get you out of here. You're close to Olympacropolis, by the way. But until we get an enchantment up, you can't enter Silvis Cordium." The team agreed, and they all walked to Olympacropolis.

"Wow… what a pretty place." It was indeed a magnificent place, filled with temples and small houses made of white marble.

"Far away from modernity, protecting its inhabitants since the olden days. And everyone gets along." A bluebird came up and say on Martin's head. "And the animals aren't afraid of people."

"You can say that again." A squirrel hopped onto Aviva's shoulder. As they walked through the village, the apprentices, nymphs and other mythical creatures greeted Stella warmly and showed respect to the team.

"Everyone is so nice," Chris said.

"This village only accepts those of good intentions," Ventus explained. "Also, they must have connection to magic or invited by a god. That's how me and my brothers first got in here, because mother took us in."

"A place of peace and quiet… I wished I have known about this place sooner," Chris commented.

"Well, we never mentioned it much around the mystical world. Actually, few people know we're still here," Stella informed. "Ever since… you know."

"The Magic War?" Koki guessed.

"Yes. After that, it was better for this place to stay secret, all for the creatures, apprentices, nymphs, and gods' sakes. And what protects this place... Silvis Cordium. It is almost like the center of all magic. Without it... I don't want to think of that outcome."

"Silvis Cordium does sound holy," Martin commented. "And is it true that... Aqua and Terra are buried somewhere in that forest?" Stella came to a stop. She muttered something and the team became covered in a faint light for a few seconds.

"With this enchantment, you should be safe from dizziness when we enter the forest. But be warned... the forest can tend to have a mind of its own every once in a while. I can't guarantee every possibility." The group let it sink in. "Now let's go."

* * *

Quietly, the team followed the Light Nymph through a mystically lit forest. The trees seem to give off their own light, making it even more beautiful. Elsa and Mina breathed the air in contently.

"I feel so refreshed," Mina commented.

"That's to be expected when a nymph comes to Silvis Cordium, sis. All of its magic can be felt by us."

The team soon stood before a tall tree, but not as tall as Gaia's Tree. There were little, white blossoms on its branches that released small light like spores. A weathered stone Guardians' Shield was at its base along with five gravestones.

" _Lignum Elementorum_ ," Stella introduced. "The Tree of the Elements."

" _Incrible_ ," Aviva awed.

"And check out this shield," Elsa observed. She lightly touched it, reversing its time. The stone was restored into its glory. "There."

"It's the seven elements," Ventus recognized.

"Uh, Ven, I think you mean eight," Martin corrected, pointing to an unfamiliar symbol. It looked like an eight pointed shuriken, and it was all black. It was almost like a void.

"What? I've never seen that one before. And it's next to Light." He pointed to the symbol of a six petaled flower.

"I thought I would never see this symbol again," the elderly Light Nymph muttered in realization. "This... is the element of Darkness."

"Element of Darkness?!" everyone gasped.

"Yes. Darkness used to be an element of nature, as well. But after Eris's departure and Hermia's coronation, Hermia forbid its use. It is known today as the Forbidden Element."

"Because she believed it only brings destruction," Ventus muttered. "And I fell for this..."

"But at least you know now that Ice and Thorn weren't really destructive," Chris pointed out. "They were actually just shy and afraid."

"And Storm actually turns out to be the same."

"Yes, but… Hermia won't believe that," Stella feared. "For some reason, something about Darkness gave her a fear so huge… that she refused to believe in other things that was not related to Light."

"Hey, Stella, what's these gravestones for?" Jimmy asked.

"The Guardians' burial and a noble warrior that fought at our side," Stella said with tear filled eyes. "They were buried together as the family they were, even though Rose's body joined our sisters. But Flora's body was never seen… only the single flower she kept in her hair."

Ventus knelt in front of the two with water and earth on them. Tears came down.

"So this is where you've been…" he muttered. "This is where their bodies… Where..." Chris made a signal for the team to give them a moment. The three brothers remained there, in comfort position.

"I… can feel it…" Martin touched the stone with the mark of water. "Aqua's body… right here…" Then, the stone glowed, surprising him. His eyes started to faintly glow too.

"Martin? A-are you okay?" Chris feared. Then, he returned his stare. His eyes glowed an even more intense blue.

"What?" Martin stared down at his hands.

"A-Aqua?" Ventus asked with a shaky voice.

"Yeah... I guess… But how?" Suddenly, Chris held his head in pain.

"Wh-what's happening to the forest?" Aviva asked. The trees seemed to be wilting and it was suddenly getting dark. Then, Chris' eyes glowed green. The stone with the mark of earth glowed.

"Chris? Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Chris looked in confusion. His eyes were glowing an intense green, but not a toxic green. "Th-this is... this can't be..."

"Terra?"

"This is so confusing," Aqua said. "I had no intention to take control, and yet I'm here."

 **"I feel like the forest is making its own decisions,"** Ice spoke telepathically.

"The forest? So this... is what Stella meant?"

" **I guess so. Martin's alright, but it seems he can't take back control at the time."**

"You mean the forest just forced them to switch places?" Mina wondered. Suddenly, the team received a call. David was the first to answer his Creaturepod.

"Sam? What happened?"

"Predator Attack in the Amazon!" Sam alerted. "M.A.T.I. and I have things under control for now, but we would appreciate some help!"

"We… kinda have a problem to solve here, but there are some that can help. Elsa, Clarissa, can you go help them?"

"We're going there immediately!" Elsa climbed on Clarissa and they left in a portal.

"I'm starting to believe Amelia used the Predator War she was planning as a distraction, so she could return to Sam's world and we would not notice a thing," Ventus theorized, surprising David.

"So all this time she WAS planning to get back..." Sam thought. "Oh, no! If she returns to my home timeline, she would cause even more trouble. Especially with someone like Klaus by her side."

"Gee... And I was the one that first wanted her to return to there..." David regretted. "Guess I should have thought this through."

"Are you brain dead, David?!" Sam scolded. "We had been trying to capture her for four years. You should know that, you were with us!"

"Guys, let's discuss this later. The fact now is that we CAN'T allow her to return to the future."

David then felt his head hurt again.

"David? What's wrong?!" Sam noticed the pain in his friend. Then, a noise called him back. "Gotta go! I'll check on you later. And don't let Amelia go back!"

"Are you okay?" Ven asked, steadying David. Or who he thought was David. The Time Guardian's chocolate brown eyes had become a bit darker.

"Wh-what's going on?" he asked looking down at himself.

"Beowulf?"

"Look!" Mina saw a familiar coat in the nearest bushes. "This sure belongs to Amelia."

"Well, this might be a clue," Ventus thought. "I'll go check it out. You take care of them." Bringing out his wind wings, Ventus took off.

* * *

Back with Sam and the rest of the team, they followed the legion of Predators to the Wild Kratts Teens' clubhouse in the Amazon. Inside the clubhouse, the girls feared for their lives. Isa and Yara were clinging to each other and Tami was trying to stay calm by staying close to the two older girls.

"Is it just me or there were way less Predators than we believed there would be?" Elsa wondered.

"They may be a few, but they cause a lot of trouble."

" **Well, their shield is impressive, but it won't last for much longer!"** the A.I. pointed out.

"Oh, if only adamantium was real..." Yara mumbled.

"Ada-what?" Sam questioned.

"You really should read more comics." Then, they heard a sound of wood breaking and claws scraping the walls. This was enough for Tami to dare scream, but Yara covered her mouth. "Who knows? Maybe it can sense our fear."

"Well, it won't sense what'll come for it!" Sam growled, and walked to the slide.

 **"Sam, no!"** M.A.T.I. feared for him, then he looked to her. "I… I love you."

"I know." He smiled at her, and started to climb up the slide. The A.I. turned around, but froze at the sight of the others staring at her.

"What?" M.A.T.I. blushed, or at least the metal bars on her face darkened.

"Nothing." The three looked around with a smirk.

* * *

Ventus investigated the woods, and he became even more worried as the trees began to look more sick.

"Oh boy… If we don't find her fast, our home will be destroyed!" he fretted. "The heart of the magical world, gone!"

 **"Calm down,"** Storm reminded. " **If you yell louder, SHE'LL find us. And do you remember what happens when the bad guy finds you?"**

"Trapped, I know. All this time living with the Wild Kratts gave me some good tips. So… since you're here… mind helping me?" At first, there was no response. Then, Ven's shadow separated from him and bolted to a certain direction. Ventus quickly followed the zipping darkness until it disappeared in some bushes.

"Storm, come back here!" Ventus hissed quietly, searching for his shadow.

" **Oh, no! The forest's magic!"** he heard Storm's faint cry of dismay. Ven hurriedly headed to his shadow, who saw to his horror a ring of trees, completely withered with an anomaly machine in the center. Standing nearby were the two masterminds.

"Stop right there, you two!" The former Air Guardian stepped out of his hiding place, confronting the two. "You can't steal Silvis Cordium's magic!"

"And why not, birdbrain?" Klaus questioned. "What are you going to do? You're by yourself!"

"That's what you think! Being a Wild Kratt, I'm never alone!" Ventus shot to the air a silver beam of light.

"Look… I'm still a bit sad for you to leave me… but I do forgive you for this. It was for the best," Mina told Flora, who was embodied in Aviva's body.

"It was my greatest concern when I chose to sacrifice myself. I was worried that you were going to be alone."

"I was lonely for a while, but I have a new family. And you're still in it." Flora smiled, tears streaming as she hugged her little sister.

"Look!" Rose, in Koki's body, saw Ven's beam.

"Ven must've found them!" Terra announced. "Come on!" The shadows were the ones that led the group.

* * *

Back to the WKT treehouse, Sam gave all he could in the fight, even having his clothes ripped apart, but even a Neo-human couldn't hold much longer by itself.

"Hey, ugly!" M.A.T.I. called, flying from the treehouse' shield. "Try eating this!" The robotic A.I. gave the genetic beast a hard kick, sending it flying. Then, she flew to Sam, helping him to get up.

"I love you," he said.

"I know."

"Watch out!" Elsa called. Clarissa was being carried by the few Predators left.

"Wow, what did Amelia give you to eat?" the wolf girl commented.

Yara whistled to her friends. Immediately, Tami and Isa activated their "weapons": giant slingshots with heavy rocks. The creatures laid down, submissive.

"Primitive, but works every time," Yara commented, as the girls approached them.

"Time to turn the Time Trampoline on!" Elsa affirmed.

"Try saying that five times fast," Tami joked.

* * *

By the time the team got to where the beacon came from, they gasped.

"Ven?!" Aqua shouted in horror.

"Oh goodie, your brat brothers and the others are here too," Klaus mocked, holding up a beaten Ventus by his collar. "These strength-amplifier gloves came in handy, _meine liebe_."

"Hey! Let go of him!" Pyce, embodied in Jimmy, demanded. "This is not fair fighting!"

"What do you know about fair?" Amelia mocked. "We don't even have any Predators with us."

"Enough chit-chat!" Klaus protested. " _Meine liebe_ , open the portal using the energy we got, I'll lead with these dimwits!"

Amelia used the magic absorbed from the trees, and fused it with her device, opening a portal to an exact location.

"Oh no you don't!" Beowulf proclaimed, tackling her to the ground. "Guys, whatever happens, don' let her even get near that portal!"

As the others kept Klaus and Amelia away from the opened portal, the shadows spoke with the brothers, Klaus having dropped the weakened Kratt in white.

" **Ventus… there's only one way to stop her and close that portal,"** Storm whispered. " **If it's okay with you..."**

"Do… what's best." Immediately, his shadow enlarged and engulfed his entire body in darkness. Catching what Ven was allowing Storm to do, Aqua and Terra decided to do the same.

"Go all out, you two," Terra told Thorn and Ice. "We'll be alright."

"We trust you," Aqua pleaded. With a firm nod, the shadows circled them before they too were swallowed by shadows.

If the others weren't so focused on their battle with Klaus and Amelia, they would've noticed that change… and the ring of trees getting stronger, as if they were recovering their magic. Knocking Flora down, Amelia was the first one to see the three dark counterparts.

"What is this?" she wondered. That's when she saw Thorn's toxic green eyes, which she had seen before. She smirked at the realization. "Well well, look who has joined us. "The Vines of Destruction", "The Freezing Disaster" and "The Dark Cloud of Ruin", here to help me finish this once and for all!"

The three darknesses just stared intensely. Then, Storm chuckled.

 **"Cutter, you have a lot to learn."** Thorn and Ice smirked. Suddenly, Amelia was surrounded by vines and pillars of ice.

*BG Music: Fall Out Boy - Immortals*

 **"If you haven't noticed by now, we're nowhere near your side,"** Ice commented.

"Darkness fighting... for Light?"

 **"No! We fight for what's right!"** the three proclaimed. " **And now, you'll regret ever setting foot in here!"**

"Ha! You still know that even if you fight against us, you three will never be accepted by-" Klaus started to taunt.

"Not another word!" Mina harshly shushed him. "You'll not take Silvis Cordium away for your own benefit!"

"Just try and stop us, pixie!" Klaus immediately cut the vines and ice clear off with his sword, freeing his wife.

The Darkness Trio joined their forces with Mina's crown - which she had secretly taken with her - and with the light they created, started to close the portal.

"Flora, that won't be enough to close that portal!" Rose told her sister.

"Well, then we can't stand here doing nothing!" Flora placed her hand on Thorn's back, lending him her energy. The others shrugged, seeing there was no other way. Lending their power to the brothers' darkness and Mina, the four held steady.

"No! Stop that!" Amelia yelled in horror. "That much magic power is reversing...!"

 **"Magic belongs being free and in our world, not being used for your criminal deeds!"** Thorn shouted, increasing his power.

By the time the portal closed, Amelia was shocked, unable to move. The trees of Silvis Cordium began recovering their stolen energy. The seven collapsed to the ground, sitting up after a few seconds.

"Thanks, guys." The three shadows smiled before returning to their places.

"We will be back, you hear me?" Klaus commented, as he carried Amelia in his arms.

As the two villains made leave, no one noticed a young nymph, who had seen the whole battle. Immediately, she fled the scene.

* * *

The forest slowly returned to normal, regaining the magic it had.

"Okay… can someone explain to me what happened there?" Bites asked, still unable to comprehend what was going on.

"Silvis Cordium gave us the chance to fight together and aid the people of the village in this battle," Terra explained.

"Well, we're done for now. Guess Silvis Cordium is telling us to go back where we belong," Pyce pointed out.

"So you guys have to go back in their subconsciences?" Ven asked, a bit disappointed.

"We have to, Ven," Rose replied. "We can't take their lives. It's their generation."

"Yeah, I know. It just feels… wonderful talking to you again, sister."

He looked to a different direction. Mina was embracing Flora one last time. Mina felt her sister shiver before looking up.

"Mina... I heard everything," Aviva said, smiling softly. "I feel that a lot of weight has been taken off Flora's mind." Mina smiled.

"I really feel like we're... saying goodbye," the two heard Ventus say to his brothers.

"Don't, silly. We'll always be here," Terra assured. "You of all people should know that." Aqua nodded in agreement.

"No matter the time, we're always together. Is that not fact?" Ven chuckled at his blonde brother's logic.

"Yes. It is a fact so true." The three smiled before Terra and Aqua cringed a bit in pain. Ven quickly caught them before they could fall.

"I'll never get used to that," Ventus admitted, as the team chuckled. The Tortuga appeared, calling their attention. Above on the shell was the four absent members waving eagerly at them.

* * *

"Auntie, Auntie!" The young nymph ran into Athena's study. "Did you feel that?"

"Yes... It came from Silvis Cordium."

"Uh... They were able to drive Cutter away, but..." The nymph wasn't sure how to tell her the news, but ended up confessing. A fellow bird, however, heard the news, and flew away to somewhere.


	24. Eps 25-26: Twilight Princes

In the Fates' temple, Ventus, Koki, Martin and Chris reunited.

"Guardians, I am glad you could join us this early. We had a vision almost too horrific to be a vision," Clotho said.

"I know how that feels," Chris commented.

"The light of evil shall bring ruin and agony to the world. No Darkness, good or evil, will escape and the planet will be burned to its core," Lachesis said.

"Light of evil?" Ventus questioned.

"Neither Light or Darkness is pure good or evil. But _she_ has forgotten that," Atropos said.

"Yeah… we know that," Chris pointed out. That same quote again… "Can you find out who or where this light of evil is, so we can help?"

"It was blurry… like it's preventing us from finding out," Clotho admitted.

"I see," Ventus sighed. "Anyway, we really should be alert for any problems then. If even Light can be dangerous, Mom can be in big trouble."

"But we know there is only one way it can be vanquished."

"What is it?"

"A very old prophecy… forgotten for years since the banishment of Darkness as an element..." Clotho showed a symbol to them. However, the symbol was too blurry to make out any specific details. "The Ninth Element - The Lost Element - is the only thing that can stop the light of evil and vanquish all the doubts you still may have."

"The ninth? I thought after we recovered the element of Darkness, that's all there was. Eight," Koki wondered. Then, her Creaturepod rang.

"Koki, are you done there? I kinda need your help back here in the Tortuga," Aviva asked.

"You can go for now. If we find out anything new, we will go meet you immediately," Clotho promised. The Guardians bowed in respect and began to leave the temple. "And brothers." The three stopped. "Since this prophecy is aeons old, it could be difficult to clarify the Ninth Elements' existence. So be on your guard."

Unseen by the Fates, a string of life vibrated. It was platinum unlike the other gold threads. That kind of string represented Entities' lives.

* * *

Back in the Tortuga, Aviva was making adjustments on M.A.T.I.'s programming.

"There you go, M.A.T.I," Aviva stated. "With this, you're finally isolated from the Tortuga's matrix."

" **Thanks. It will be wonderful to travel with Sam… but I sure will miss you."**

"And I'll miss you, too, sis."

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere right now," Sam informed.

"We know, but you are leaving soon. Your girl needs to be as ready as you." The two blushed. Then, the inventor turned to the others. "So… a _ninth_ Element, huh?"

"Just how many Elements are really out there?" Jimmy chewed on a slice of pizza.

"Who knows, JZ?" David replied. "Trust me. Not even I know. I've been in the future for four years, and I never heard of a Ninth Element there. Or even something along the lines of a Lost Element."

"Ventus and the girls just left through a portal to check on things in Hermia's temple, just in case," Chris commented. "I can't stop but to feel worried."

" **Well, if this calms you down, for now, nothing seems out of the ordinary,"** M.A.T.I. pointed out. " **The last check I made, all creatures we've met are fine, there are no villain attacks anywhere… we're pretty much in peace."**

"Ugh… thanks, but… I think I need to meditate a bit. My mind is a mess," Chris sighed, as he started climbing on the HQ's tree.

* * *

Ventus and the girls entered Hermia's temple, only to find it completely trashed.

"Leaping Lotus, what happened here?" Elsa feared.

"Nothing good," Ventus pointed out. Then, they heard a groan from nearby.

"Eris!" Elsa helped the Goddess of Discord to get up, and Athena was by her side, wounded on her shoulder.

"Oh… I feared this was going to happen..." Eris mumbled sadly. "The moment I saw that white hair, I knew... But if I had pointed it out, she would have never believed me..."

"I see your point. When I was becoming Black Storm, I tried the best I could to hide my black stripes," Ventus remembered.

"We have to leave… and get… help..." Athena tried to say something.

"Who can help us?"

"Not Hermia... That I am certain..."

"Wh-why not?" Mina asked.

"M-my sister is..." Eris started.

"Look out!" Ventus pushed the goddess of wisdom out of the way of a beam of light.

 _ **"Vincent!"**_ a viscous, enraged voice boomed. _**"How dare you disobey me! Have you given yourself back to the darkness?! I can't trust anyone... not even my own children. I have no choice... but to erase you along with the Darkness!"**_ There was another strike of light.

"No!" Eris intervened, protecting them with a shield of shadow.

" _ **Step aside, Eiri!"**_ Eris refused to leave.

"I won't let you do this to yourself!"

"Aunt Eris, what's going on?" Another light attacked with even more strength. Sam appeared through a portal.

"Quick! In here!" The team rushed through the portal, leaving the entity behind.

" _ **Yes, Darkness… run away and never come back! I have a world of Darkness to clean..."**_

* * *

Chris focused, or at least teried to focus on pacific images, but… something kept coming to his mind.

 _The world was bright. But it didn't feel like a good light. Grasslands were burning in white flames. The trees were wilting._

 _"Wh-what's going on?" Chris asked in horror._

 _"All darkness shall be destroyed!" a familiar, yet different voice boomed. "The most powerful ones first!"_

 _"Hermia?" Chris turned around. But instead of seeing the brown haired goddess, a woman with white hair and pupiless eyes floated above him._

 _"H-Hermia?" Chris was frightened by this lady._

 _"You traitor! You left us for the darkness! And now you shall perish!" The woman created a ball of white energy. The brunette could only stare in fear as she threw it straight at him._

* * *

"NO!" Chris gasped, waking up from his meditation. From shock, he lost balance and fell onto the floor.

"Chris?! What's wrong?!" Aviva asked in concern. Chris held his head as he sat up. Eris arrived with the rest of the team, surprising them.

"Eris! Athena!" Martin gasped. "What happened? Are you guys okay?"

"Light... Catastrophe..." Ventus panted. "Mom…. SHE is the light of evil!"

"WHAT?!" the team gasped.

"We explained what happened to them while escaping, but you all must know…" Athena explained what happened moments ago.

 _Athena arrived at Hermia's temple, having received a letter from her._

" _Hermia… you wanted to see me?" Mother Nature had a stern look on her face as she faced away. Her hair was almost all white._

" _I know."_

" _K-know what?"_

" _They've been using Darkness. The Nature Guardians have had contact with the Forbidden Element. And you AND Eris knew this all along, you traitors."_

" _... I hate to be THIS person… but you're acting really foolishly, Hermia. Ever since Eris was banished, you never gave yourself a chance to understand Darkness's true virtue."_

 _"I don't NEED to understand. They betrayed us all," Hermia stated in distaste. "They used Darkness when they knew they were forbidden to use it. And you did nothing to stop them. Even Ventus gave in again."_

" _No. You're wrong. You've been locking yourself away from Darkness because of Eris' departure, and you refused to believe there is also good in it," Athena pointed out sternly. "It took us all too long to understand the error of our ways, but you… you refuse to look back, just wanting to believe in Light. You're unstabilizing yourself, Hermia."_

" _No… I'm right! Darkness is nothing but PURE evil! I know it took my sister! I know it took my sons! And it's about to take them away too! It takes EVERYONE AWAY FROM ME!" Her voice broke the stained glass with her and Eris._

 _The last hints of her brown hair disappeared through white stripes, and after a pain in the head, her eyes glowed a powerful white._

 _"Oh my Muses..." the goddess of wisdom mumbled in shock._

"Just what I witnessed in my vision. Hermia… she became something… evil," Chris shivered.

"Mom..." Ventus gulped. The same thing could've happened to him if Storm hadn't technically saved him. "We need to make a plan to help her."

"Good point," Chris agreed. "It was Hermia who taught us about Darkness being nothing but evil in the first place. And we all blindly believed her, until our fears took hold."

"It was quite the wake up call for you three," Koki commented.

 **"She is lost in the light..."** a voice whispered. **"You would've ended up the same way..."**

"Yeah..." Suddenly, the Kratt in white's shadow seemed to flicker like the fire on a candle.

"So you've..." Eris realized.

"Yes, Eris… me too. And I know it's not the time, but..."

"I forgive you. And I understand this pain. All this guilt inside… It's practically how I feel." Eris looked at her own reflection.

" _I had a lot of time to think about my past actions in my cold stone prison. And as the memories came and my powers remained weak… finally Light knocked on my door. All the pain and evil that happened… was all my fault. All my fault…_

" _She refused to believe in the good of Darkness because of my departure… she started thinking it took me away forever. After that, she forbid the use of Darkness all together, and that's why she had Ventus lock Thorn and Ice away. Clearly, that didn't work._

" _I started everything with mere jealousy. Then, I allowed it to evolve into pure hatred. It costed me your reincarnated forms, and of course, the betrayal of Chaos, to finally wake me up."_

"Aunt Eris... more than ever, we need all the Guardians and all the Elements to save Hermia," Mina decided.

"But we still haven't found any leads to the Ninth Element!" Koki pointed out. "We don't even know what it is!"

"Hm… 'vanquish the light of evil'… Maybe..." Aviva thought before looking at the team. "I think I got something. It's not supported, but a theory nonetheless."

"Spill, girlfriend!" Clarissa said.

"According to Taoism, there is yin and yang, two halves that together complete wholeness. Yin and yang are also the starting point for change. When something is whole, it's unchanging and complete. So when you split something into two halves, it upsets the equilibrium of wholeness. This starts both halves chasing after each other as they seek a new balance. The word Yin means "shady side" and Yang "sunny side"."

"So you think… we have to put Light and Darkness together to find this Lost Element?" Koki wondered.

" **Put..."** Thorn's voice was heard for a moment. Then, both him, Ice and Storm disappeared, leaving the brothers shadowless.

"Where'd they go?" David asked.

"Don't know, and I don't sense their presence…" Chris admitted.

"Guys, the Fates also said that it's possible the Ninth Element didn't exist to begin with," Martin reminded.

"Are you serious, Martin?" Chris walked forward. "We've witnessed ourselves powers we've never imagined we had, found hidden truths about our past identities that made us better people now, future timeline fellows, other world creatures and entities of all kinds, and you want to NOT believe this is real?"

"He made a good point, I give him that," Mina commented.

"I felt it… here." Chris pointed to his heart. "We're going to Olympacropolis. I can't stop but to believe the answers are there."

The team decided to trust his belief, and hopped aboard the Tortuga.

* * *

Arriving at the base of the mountain in Olympacropolis, the team looked in horror at the scorched city.

"Did mother do this?" Ventus asked in dread.

"Just like the vision..." Chris muttered. "The land was in light, but everything was burnt."

"Um... we got good news and bad news," David pointed out.

"The good news is the villagers are protected and away from danger," Elsa said.

"The bad news is… well..." David pointed out to the menace in front of them. The team gasped at the sight: there, floating above the city, was a woman in a bright white dress, with its hair floating as if it was in flames. Its eyes had no pupils, just white.

"In the vision, she said she would first eliminate the most powerful ones..." Chris realized. "The Pantheon! She's going to the Olympus gods' reunion place!"

"Oh no! It's how they watch over our worlds!"

"If she gets to the Pantheon, we're in big trouble!" Athena feared. "With a power like that, she can easily wipe the gods and goddesses from existence!"

"You mean she can eradicate every deity if she wanted to?!" Jimmy gasped.

"And she can find any Darkness and destroy it! In turn, destroy the planet!"

"Not on our watch. That's why we were chosen as Nature Guardians in the first place: to save our planet from any danger," Chris decided. "Let's do it." The team prepared themselves in case Hermia decided to attack. "Hermia! You gotta stop this now! Can't you see the damage you're creating?"

" _ **Oh… the traitors have finally come."**_

"I am sorry to deny this, but you're the one that's truly destroying the world! Not Darkness!" Ventus protested. "It's TOO MUCH Light!"

" _ **To think I have believed you would be trustful due to your past… how foolish I was to not know you were going to be corrupted as well!"**_

"Hermia, no! We're trying to help, like we always do! Please, listen to reason!" Koki asked.

" _ **Silence!"**_ The woman attacked the team with a beam. Then, they saw some kind of loophole where a place was seen.

"Is this… a portal?!" Elsa gasped. "A portal to the human world?!"

"More like a crack! I fear her unbalanced self is creating cracks between the worlds!" Chris feared. "If it continues… she might rip the mystic barriers apart!"

"And I thought kidnapping baby animals on Christmas was a big monstrosity! It is, but that's way worse!" Martin gulped. Light directed itself to the portal, prideful and powerful as she felt, as the team stared in shock.

"She's escaping!" Aviva saw Light flying away.

"Oh no she's not!" Chris quickly summoned his bow. The gold vine embroidery now had black leaves, signs of his Darkness. Suddenly, the light came to a halt, sensing the shadows. Chris released an arrow of shadows and light, surprising everyone.

"Uh, that's new," the brunette commented. Light quickly turned around and barely dodged the projectile, tearing through her dress. She roared in anger as she examined the tear.

" _ **You Darkness lackeys!"**_ The evil light flew up to a cliff.

"Aviva, Ven, give us a lift!" Martin commanded. The two air magic users combined their strength to create a strong whirlwind that flung the two to the top of the cliff. Light glared at the two.

 _ **"You two... Traitors! After everything I've done for you!"**_

"You did nothing but kowtow to Light, Mother Nature!" Martin accused. "You let the light consume you! You've lost your true purity!"

" _ **I haven't lost anything except my cherished ones to the darkness! My light will forever burn, destroying ALL Darkness!"**_

"Look around you, Hermia!" Chris called. "Does it look like you're helping the planet?! It's dying!"

" _ **From the ashes, the Light will bring rebirth and purify this darkness-infested planet!"**_

"I for one say you've gone crazy! Paranoid! Just like Ventus did! Do you wish to only spread MADNESS instead of purity?!"

" _ **Enough!"**_ Light attacked the team with her beams, making the earth shake and them both tumble to the edge of a trench that opened. " _ **You will not stand in my way, minions of Darkness! If I cannot trust anyone to help me, I'll do it myself."**_ She departed in a flash.

"Mom..." Ventus didn't know what to say, too shocked to move, with tears escaping his eyes.

"Hold on!" Martin tried holding firmly to where he was, and so did his little brother, snapping Ventus out of his trance. But the trench couldn't hold much longer: Martin and Chris ended up falling.

The brothers screamed, as they saw the height they were falling from. But something else happened then… something seemed to freeze the brothers in plain air.

"Wh-what's going on now?" Aviva asked, hoping someone would have the answer.

"We're not doing anything!" Mina pointed out, with Elsa nodding in agreement.

It was… Ice and Thorn… and Aqua and Terra! Each pair of Light and Darkness was circling the brothers. Martin saw Aqua and Ice offer him their hands to hold, and so did Terra and Thorn to Chris.

The brothers then realized that moment what they needed to do. As one hand held their subconsciences's hands, they joined their own hands.

"No light is pure good..." Chris said softly.

"No darkness is pure evil..." Martin added.

"We need to balance them!" Their eyes glowed and their earrings broke apart. A black and white light, shaped as a yin-yang, was seen by the team.

The brothers' earrings laid on the ground at their feet, shattered and broken. Their bodies were in robes of black and white with some blue and green here and there. The most standing out feature was the addition of a white stripe in their hair.

"Whoa..." Aviva managed to say.

"It all makes sense now." Martin smiled to them. "The Guardians… the powers… the prophecy given today… It was a calling for help."

"A calling from Gaia..." Chris looked up. "For us to help the one she chose to protect the planet after she passed to the next plain of existence."

"And you got this all just now?!" Sam asked, receiving a pinch on his tail.

"Maybe deep within, we had questions left," Aviva admitted. The Fates appeared. "Did you know about this all along?!"

"Why the surprise? They ARE the Fates," Chris pointed out. "If they told us immediately… maybe we wouldn't believe it."

"True," the team agreed. Sam then looked down to a hidden symbol on his Guardians' shield.

"It's good we found out the Ninth Element, but she escaped," Koki pointed out. "Who knows what will come next?" Then, they felt the earth shake, and looked by the loophole. "And I jinxed it."

* * *

The team observed through the crack: it seemed like a portal to the city, the savannah and the Amazon at the same time.

"Wow! Three different points?!" Aviva gasped. "I am glad she didn't cross this crack!"

"But she will reach any of these palces in no time. We gotta act fast!" Chris said.

"Not without a plan," Koki pointed out.

"How about this one?!" Sam jumped into the crack, entering the part that led to the city.

"You know, we could have just taken the Tortuga..." Jimmy said.

"Well, when in Rome..." Aviva shrugged, jumping into the city portal. The team followed her as well.

"But guys, the Tortug-" Koki pushed her boyfriend down the portal and jumped into it, but not before grabbing onto her modified keychain and setting the Tortuga's coordinates to the city.

"Meanwhile, me and Eris will warn Zeus and the Pantheon' Gods!" Athena said, heading through another portal.

* * *

Laura and Tania were reuniting the maximum of Wild Kratts Kids they could reach. They were even able to get a hold of the Wild Kratts Teens. All of the kids were nervous about the current situation the world was facing.

"Look!" Tania pointed out to the silhouettes coming from the sky. Out of the rip, the whole team fell, screaming since they just realized they were falling!

"Hang on, guys!" Focusing their new power, the brothers were able to slow their fall and land everyone gently down.

"Phew, thought I was a goner for a sec," Clarissa commented.

"What just happened?" Laura called as the kids, her and Tania hurried over to them.

"We might want to go somewhere NOT in the open where the whole, panicking world can hear us," Martin replied.

* * *

Reunited in Laura's home, the team explained the situation. The bros had turned back to normal, but the white and black stripes remained in their hair.

"Wow… that is so much to process," Tania affirmed.

"I always knew somehow you were a prince," Laura commented, making Martin blush.

"Well, we found the Ninth Element, but… how will we find Hermia and defeat her?" Chris asked. "She can be anywhere now." The Fates then appeared to the team.

"We are glad we found you, Guardians. We have good news," Clotho said. "And it is a pleasure meeting you, Laura and Tania."

"The Fates..." Tania couldn't believe her eyes. "Can you give me your autograph?" Chris chuckled.

"Maybe later, darling. For now, Guardians, the prophecy's fragments have been found," Atropos said, showing the team some rock pieces with what seem to be writng on them.

"Wait. Fragments?" Martin asked in confusion.

"They showed up after your transformation," Lachesis explained. "We don't understand it either."

"It looks like a puzzle. I'm good with puzzles," Gavin said. "May I?"

"As the mortals say, 'Have at it'," Clotho replied. The young preteen went straight to the jumbled words on the stones. Something surprising happened then: as Gavin touched one of the pieces, on the back of his hand, something glowed, and he managed to set the pieces together quickly.

"How did you do that, bro?" Ronan asked in awe and shock.

"I… I dont know," Gavin affirmed, then he looked at what glowed in his hand: a WK symbol, just like the one Marttin got when he became officially a Guardian.

"Hm… this may take a while to understand," Clotho thought. "But for now, the Light of Catastrophe must be stopped."

"It's in Latin," Chris recognized. "Of course." The Earth Guardian let his eyes glide over every word, when his eyes started glowing green again. "Those who have the power of Twilight… where Darkness went missing first shall balance Light."

"Where Darkness went missing first?" Mina wondered. "Hmm… could this be where… Aunt Eris left after Hermia was crowned Mother Nature?"

"Yeah… that was the event that led to everything. This means..." Ventus gasped. "Gaia's Tree! She's going to attack there!"

"In her current state, Hermia does no longer believe there's good around her. She'll even attack her own mother. Her own unborn children..."

"The prophecy said... only we should do this," Chris commented. "Me and Martin. That's our destiny."

"It can be dangerous," Aviva pointed out. "What if you don't come back?"

"We will. I promise." Unknown to them, Sam was listening to everything from the window. Ever since the brothers's transformation, he remembered something he forgot a long time ago.

"In this point in time…" he mumbled to himself. "The brothers…"

"Katie, bar the door!" Tami entered, breathing hard as she and Yara brought Nolan.

"Guess we found out who's behind this… and you're not gonna like it."

"She's here. We must act." Chris clenched his fist. "Let's go, Martin."

"We're going too," Elsa stated.

"No, guys. You stay here. We don't wanna risk your lives."

"But bros-" Ventus tried to object.

"That's an order! It's for your own good," Chris determined, rushing out with Martin. The team feared for what would come next.

* * *

Outside Laura's house, Light continued opening cracks with her attacks, leaving critters and people in fear.

"Stop right there, Light!" The corrupted goddess turned and saw the brothers, not giving attention to their transformation.

 _ **"You scum of Darkness... You shall be destroyed!**_ " Light attacked with a beam of light. However, an invisible field seemed to come up and block the attack. _**"What?!"**_ Then, she noticed the brothers' robes and the symbol on the front. _**"The Element of Twilight?! No, you two are just mere humans!"**_

"Not anymore," Martin stated firmly. Chris pointed out his onyx and silver scepter. He concentrated with his mind to get inside of Hermia's mind with his inner link.

" _Hermia? Mother Nature?" he called once inside Light's mind. Then, he heard a small sob. There, in front of him, was Hermia, apparently powerless, since her appearance was utterly normal. She lifted up her head, seeing the Earth Guardian._

" _Chris? I-I don't understand… "_

" _We didn't get it at first either, but now we see the truth." He tried approaching her. "And we can help you if you just..." Suddenly, a being of light appeared behind him._

" _Chris! Look out!"_

 _When he turned around, he froze in terror._

" _ **Begone, Darkness!"**_ _There was a sudden flash of light._

Chris gasped as the link was broken, and fell on his back.

"Chris!" Martin gasped.

"I couldn't help her in time. It's too strong!"

"Maybe you need a little help." Eris appeared through a portal. "Use my Darkness and save Hermia!" She held Chris' scepter.

"Aunt Eris! NO! This is really dangerous!" Mina warned.

"I don't care, Mina. It was my fault as well. I must save my little sister!" Eris concentrated all the power she could into Chris's scepter and floated to Light's direction, holding her from behind. Light tried attacking them, but Martin defended them with a light forcefield.

"Sorry, Hermia… but you really need this." Martin tried to absorb Hermia's excess of Light, but she stopped him.

" _ **You think that will be enough to stop me, fools?!"**_ She opened more cracks around her, making it visible all the places they've been before.

"It didn't work..." Chris feared.

"She's going to Gaia's Tree!" Martrin pointed out, seeing Light crossing one of the cracks, with Eris trapped in a light bubble. "Let's go!"

* * *

The cavern of Gaia's Tree held firm as a certain, flaring light stepped in.

" _ **My mother… Why is it no one appreciates what I'm doing?"**_ the corrupted light questioned in fury. The Tree's branches shook with the wind. " _ **You…"**_ Her blank eyes narrowed. " _ **You're disappointed…?! I'm doing all of this for**_ **you** _ **! What have I done besides excluding all that's evil in the world?! Saving your planet, your treasure?!"**_

The tree's branches shook violently.

" _ **You're corrupted… you're corrupted too! How could you let Darkness get to you, mother?!"**_ The tree then stopped shaking, and weaken. " _ **Darkness is ruining you! I don't have a choice.**_ "

"NO!" Sam stepped forward, tackling her before she could even harm a single leaf on the tree. "Hermia, stop!"

" _ **Don't intrude my mission! I must vanquish Darnkess from existence so I can save Gaia's treasure!"**_

"But you're destroying that treasure! Don't you understand?! If you destroy Darkness, you destroy life itself! Gaia herself was born from both forces!" Sam tried to argue.

" _ **What would you know?!**_ "

"A lot coming from someone from-" Hermia tried attacking him, interrupting him.

"Leave him alone!" Chris yelled as the team made it to the tree.

"No wait! You can't use your power here!" Sam warned when he noticed the brothers starting to transform.

"Wh-what?"

Light took the opprtunity to escape, but not before unleashing an attack onto the team.

"NO!" the brothers gasped, rushing to their friends. Quickly summoning their scepters, they were able to absorb the attack before the team could be hit.

"What were you guys thinking?!" Martin scolded. "That's why we asked you to stay behind!"

"And let you get hurt alone?" Aviva argued. "NO way! I don't care what that prophecy says… if it's to fall, we'll fall together. As friends, team and family."

"But guys… this may be really dangerous this time…" Chris tried to reason. "If we fail… you guys will have to defend the world without us."

"No buts, Chris. This fight is ours too, and that's final," Koki asked. "And don't dare say that you might not make it! We would never let that happen to our best friends!"

Martin and Chris wanted to reject, but... they were right. The bros hugged their team, with tears in their eyes.

"You're the best..." From the sideline, Sam smiled softly.

"This is different… but maybe this will benefit…" Their emotional moment was interrupted by a Psst. It was Edith and Maggie, the babysitter Nymphs, with Ruby and Marina.

"She's gone." Mina helped them to get up, as the babies fiddled with her hair. "But what she's already doing is causing pain to Gaia's Tree."

"The rose buttons are weakening. If it keeps like this, no more nymphs will be born," Edith lamented.

"This… this was the turning point that led to my timeline's destruction…" Sam muttered in horror, a hand unconsciously reaching up to touch the Earth Gem shard in his forehead. "Ameila may have caused the meltdown, but Hermia's "victory"... only led to more human corruption… causing the humans to destroy everything out of their own greed… and eventually, Hermia's own demise."

"So you..." Chris asked.

"I knew about the element of Twilight, the only force that can save my time. But I didn't know much about how powerful it was! I mean, I forgot about it at first, but now I remember, thanks to your transformation!"

"But why didn't you tell us when you remembered?!" Chris asked, shocked.

"Even to an alternate timeline, the smallest change can cause catastrophic results." Sam looked away, ashamed. The bros were pretty upset he didn't tell them earlier, but deep within, they knew he did that for the survival of his home.

"We'll talk about this later. For now, we have to stop Light."

"But where could she be now?" Koki asked. "She's already damaged the Tree! What more could she target besides…!" A thought came to her, making her freeze in terror. "Oh no… the Gaia Gem!"

"Th-that's right… When Hermia destroyed the Gem… the monsters… corrupted everything!" Sam exclaimed.

"Where is it?" Mina asked. Edith and Maggie looked at each other.

* * *

Far away, Light narrived in a valley, with its river drying out in her appearance.

" _ **Where did they conceal it?"**_ she muttered in irritation. She suddenly sensed a strong wave of energy coming from the shore of the now dried river. A single slash on the patch of earth was all it took to reveal a full metal door with a huge tree moulded on the front. The doors appeared to remain locked until Light was able to force it open with a powerful stamp of the foot. The corrupted goddess headed down into the chamber, white fire torch lamps almost blinding sight of the room. There, near the far back wall, sat the Gaia Gem in its gleaming glory on a white marble pedestal.

" _Mother, stop right there!"_ Martin's voice was heard. The Light of Catastrophe whipped her head around to find the location of the voice.

" _You can't do this, mother! We won't let you!"_ Chris's voice shouted. She looked again, only to come with the same result.

" _ **My children… why do you wish me to stop? After everything Darkness did to you, you choose their side?"**_

" _The only ones to blame are the ones who used Darkness foolishly!"_ Koki's voice echoed. " _And right now, mother, you're using your Light foolishly."_

" _Do you truly believe that it was Darkness that started everything?"_ Jimmy's voice followed. " _Or are you just looking for something to blame for your sister leaving?"_

" _ **I'm not blaming anything! I know the Darkness-"**_

" _The Darkness did NOTHING to you or Aunt Eris, mother!"_ Aviva's voice snapped. " _The Darkness didn't do anything to me, Ventus, Aqua, Terra, or anyone! You're just being a bully!"_

"And we're here to help you!" Mina's voice was heard, and the team appeared from a portal behind the Gaia Gem. The projections of the past selves were by their corresponding reincarnations, staring determinedly.

" _You know that this may cost you all your powers, right?"_ Terra asked. " _And your powers are part of some of you…"_

" _If you do this, you may not survive,"_ Beowulf added.

"It's risky… but it must be done," Chris pleaded. "We need to make one last effort… for Earth. For the magic and mortal worlds to finally know peace after thousands of years of misunderstandings."

"After thousands of years of blame and hate…" Ventus added on. "Thousands of years of lies… it comes to a conclusion now."

"The most important traits of true power… True light and darkness…" Martin started. "Bravery…"

"Mercy…" Chris followed.

"Kindness…" Aviva closed her eyes, and an purple aura surrounded her.

"Generosity…" Koki and Jimmy joined, surrounded in their orange and yellow auras.

"Patience…" David followed in a veil of grey.

"Hope…" Mina's body started glowing.

"Love…" Ventus's wind wings came out and his eyes glowed silver.

"Peace…"

"And Balance!" Sam closed his eyes as well, and held the brothers' hands. Floating together, the team transferred their power to the bros' scepters. The evil light tried to blast them with light, but it was only absorbed into their scepters.

" _ **What?! That's… NO!"**_

"Even with all your Light, Hermia, you will never understand purity until you accept your fears and darkness back into you!" Chris said. "And that makes-"

"THE FULL POWER OF NATURE!" the team proclaimed together. In one powerful attack, the brothers launched the power that was stored into the scepters out.

* * *

Once the light vanished, the team saw that a crater formed where the explosion of energy happened. The Fates appeared before them.

There, in the depths of the crater caused by the light explosion, they saw the brothers, and in front of them, Hermia holding her head, and Eris by her side, waking up. Hermia wore an orange and gray dress and Eris, a black and white one. The two looked at each other, then at themselves.

"You're fully balanced once more. Both of you," Chris proclaimed. "No more darkness than light, no more light than darkness. And now, Hermia, you can finally see where you made your mistake." Hermia didn't say a word, ashamed of her actions.

"And we forgive you, Mother Nature. Really, we do. Even the wisest of people can make mistakes," Martin assured.

"Gaia knew… she possibly knew this would happen," Eris pointed out. "She picked you as the next Mother Nature because she wanted us to find our balance, even if it costed 10,000 years to do so. In my current state of jealousy, I would never understand that lesson."

"Martin…. Chris… I can't thank you and the Wild Kratts enough for helping us both." Hermia stood up. "You made both of us really proud." Eris put an arm around her shoulders.

"Martin! Chris!" Mina rushed to embrace them. "You did it you did it you did it!" Ventus approached them with an immediate bear hug.

"Guys, are you here?" Yara called through Aviva's Creaturepod.

"Whateve you guys disd, it worked!" tami said. "We re getting reprots from all over the world. The cracks are disappearing, and everything is stabiliz\ing again."

"The Twilight Princes' destiny has been fullfilled," Clotho proclaimed. Martin and Chris smiled in pride. Then, their scepters glowed intensely and shot beams in the crater's direction. Everyone stepped back, wondering what was happening.

The team heard the sound of flowing water. Everyone turned to the river, and were shocked that it was flowing again. After the flash was finally gone, the group looked back. There, where the crater was once, a wonderful temple appeared. And at its entrance was the symbol of Twilight.

"The Twilight Temple..." Clotho commented.

"Sweet Gaia..." Clarissa wondered. They looked around the temple, as they entered. It was huge.

"It is the princes' new home," Lachesis explained. "It has been hidden for aeons. Once the element of Twilight was reawakened, it reappeared in all its glory."

"And now it belongs to both of you, Martin and Chris Kratt. Or more precise now, _Princes_ Martin and Chris Kratt," Atropos said.

"So we're gonna stay here… forever?" Chris asked.

"Well, not forever, but you two will be normally stationed here. And given that you're half immortal now…"

"Half immortal?" Martin gulped. "You mean… all our friends… and loved ones... will live on with their lives… without us?"

"And we will never see other creatures… living free and in the wild?" Chris thought, and Martin sighed. The team noticed this could mean they would never see the Kratt Bros again. Just the thought made everyone upset. Chris lift up his head with a decision.

"Sorry... we can't. There's a big world for us to explore, and still many adventures to live. Plus… there are people that REALLY need us in the human world… and we can't abandon them like this."

"We understand, boys… but we fear there is no other that can control the element of Twilight so easily," Atropos commented.

"I can." Sam stepped forward. "For I have also been marked and led with my Darkness before."

"Really? How?" Jimmy asked.

"I'll tell you all someday. For now... I'm willing to take their place as Twilight Prince, so they can return to their normal… well, not-so-normal lives."

"But… what about your home, Sam?" Martin asked.

"It might take a long time for me to get back to my timeline, and teach them all the wonderful things you told me…" M.A.T.I. stood next to him, holding his hand with a smile. "But I'll be patient. Besides, you guys are right. There IS a huge world to explore, and you can't just stick here forever." Martin and Chris smiled to him, and held Sam's hands, passing their Twilight power to him. This made the stripes in their hair vanish. Still, Aqua and Terra as well as their Darkness remained in them.

"You're a great friend, Sam," Martin said, making Sam smile.

"Aviva..." Ventus said. "I fear I can't go with you. I need to help mom recover from this incident, and this might take a long time." Aviva lowed her head in understanding. "However… I leave you this… as a promise that I'll be back for you." He gave her an engagement ring. Aviva's eyes filled with joyful tears and she embraced him.

"I will wear it for all my life." She placed the ring in her finger.

"You're going with them, right, Mina?" Chris concluded seeing his sister's sad face.

"Well… If it isn't me, who'll take care of Ventus?" she chuckled. "But I'll never forget the wonderful adventures we lived together. You gave me a family and taught me more than I could imagine. But guys, don't take this as a good-bye. Just a "see you soon". After all, even far away, family is family." The team embraced, reunited, along with Eris.

"Okay, you all, don't move a muscle." Bites prepared the Creaturepod to take a picture of the team reunited. "Smile!"

 _Click!_

* * *

*BG music: Sekai no Owari - Dragon Night*

As the Tortuga team and the Kratt Bros, along with their companions and future stepsons, they waved good-bye to their mystical friends and family.

 _Chris (voice-over): Dear Mina… we miss you all already. Even though this might not be the last time we see each other._

 _Martin (voice-over): Tell Hermia we'll keep our medallions safe with us, in case we need them again. And we'll keep waiting for news from you guys._

Inside the Tortuga, Aviva put the medallions in a chest, in a secret compartment. Then, she looked at the ring on her hand.

 _Aviva (voice-over): Tell Ventus I'll wait for him too. Even if it takes another 10,000 years. Since we'll be prettry much away from magic for now, the medallions will be secured._

 _Koki (voice-over): I feel bad that Dabio's still with Donita. But… I think he will eventually do something better with his life._

When Donita wasn't looking, being too worried setting Klaus up for another search for creatures, Dabio sent some fabric to the children of the orphanage where Jimmy volunteered, and saw from the mansion's window the Tortuga crossing the skies.

 _Jimmy (voice-over): And Bite-Size misses you guys too. Plus, David, Clarissa and Elsa will be fine in Faust's pack. Oh, they sent a hug for Sam and M.A.T.I._

In Faust' pack, David, Elsa and Clarissa took care of everything, aiding Lunos and Faust.

 _Martin (voice-over): Oh, guess what? Double wedding alert! That's right! Everything's set, and we hope to see you there, as our guests of honor._

Some time later, in a church, both Kratt Brothers left with their companions, after a wonderful double wedding, watched by all their friends.

 _Chris (voice-over): We know this is not goodbye forever. To none of us. After all, as long as Gaia's treasure needs you, we'll be here helping you in the fight for its preservation. Something that we all hope everyone else helps too. We love you all very much._

With a goodbye party, the Tortuga flew high in the sky, with all the team there, and the Kratt Bros' new wives, going to their honeymoons.

 _All (voice-over): See you soon! From the Nature Guardians, the Wild Kratts._

As the Tortuga left, the WK symbol glowed in the starry sky.


End file.
